Quailfeather's Story
by starrynight32
Summary: Ever since he was little, all Quailkit ever wanted was to be a proud warrior of StormClan, but halfway through his apprenticeship his beloved father is mortally wounded in a tragic accident. His dying wish is for his elder son to train as a medicine cat. Now, to fulfill his father's last wish, Quailpaw begins his journey to becoming a medicine cat.
1. Allegiances

**ALLEGIANCES**

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 **STORMCLAN**

 **LEADER ****-** TROUTSTAR- black and silver tabby tom

 **DEPUTY ****-** CREEKFEATHER- long-haired dark gray tom

 **MEDICINE CAT** \- FINCHSPECK- dark gray tom with flecks of ginger

 **WARRIORS** **:**

LOUDSTORM- big gray tom

QUICKBREEZE- tabby and white tom

CLEARWATER- pale gray and white she-cat

APPRENTICE, KINKPAW

BERRYFROST- brown tom

HAWKFOOT- dark red-brown she-cat

VINETAIL- tortoiseshell she-cat with a long ginger tail

STARLINGFLIGHT- pale gray tabby tom

APPRENTICE, RAVENPAW

WILLOWFUR- tabby tom

HONEYWHISKER- creamy she-cat

HAZELNOSE- gray and white tom

 **QUEENS** **:**

MORNINGCLOUD- long-haired reddish brown she-cat with white belly (mother to Doekit and Tadpolekit)

STORMFLOWER- pale silvery tabby she-cat (mother to Quailkit and Cedarkit)

BREEZETAIL- light brown tabby she-cat with pretty lavender eyes

 **ELDERS** **:**

POOLSWIRL- spotted gold tabby she-cat

GRAYWOLF- gray tom with long, shaggy fur

WINDSONG- small dusty brown she-cat

 **APPRENTICES** **:**

RAVENPAW- jet-black tom with white belly

KINKPAW- a crooked-tailed orange she-cat

 **KITS** **:**

DOEKIT- dark brown she-cat with black-spotted fur

TADPOLEKIT- brown and cream tom

QUAILKIT- long-haired orange tabby tom with a broad, flat face

CEDARKIT- brown tom with white paws and belly

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 **PINECLAN**

 **LEADER** **-** SNOWSTAR- pure-white tom

 **DEPUTY** **-** BLACKFANG- gray tom with black paws

 **MEDICINE CAT** **-** THORNTAIL- spiky-furred brown tom

APPRENTICE, LEAFSTEM (a young yellow tabby)

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 **FIRECLAN**

 **LEADER ****-** THUNDERSTAR- huge golden brown tom, very old, oldest Clan leader

 **DEPUTY ****-** GOLDENFUR- yellow-gold she-cat

 **MEDICINE CAT** **-** MAPLEFERN- brown she-cat, muzzle dappled with gray

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 **LIGHTCLAN**

 **LEADER ****-** THISTLESTAR **-** dappled gray tom

 **DEPUTY ****-** APPLEBLOSSOM- mottled brown she-cat

 **MEDICINE CAT** **-** DREAMCHASER- black she-cat

APPRENTICE, RABBITPAW

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 **CAVECLAN**

 **LEADER** **-** FLOWERSTAR- black and white she-cat

 **DEPUTY** **-** SPARROWFEATHER- skinny brown tabby tom

 **MEDICINE CAT** **-** LILYSHINE- long-haired light gray tabby she-cat

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 **For clan territories, see profile.**


	2. Prologue

Howling winds blew ferociously, stirring the windblown grass and whipping it into a frenzy as harsh dark clouds swirled overhead. Thunder rumbled and lightning clashed, resonating loudly across the vast moorland, but the warriors of StarClan stood tall and proud, unbowed by the raging storm.

A loan cat was crouched in front of them, his black and silver tabby pelt bristling as he received a life. His body shook from the pain that coursed through him, and once it subsided he panted heavily. He sat up straight as a sleek gray tabby stepped forward.

"It's good to see you again, Troutclaw," the tabby purred. "I knew I made the right choice when I made you my deputy, and now I am honored to give you your eighth life."

Troutclaw dipped his head respectfully. "It is I who should be honored, Petalstar. You were a great leader, and I was proud to serve as your deputy."

Petalstar smiled warmly, then leaned forward to press her nose to his head. "I give you the life of judgement," she mewed. "Trust your instincts, and judge one not by their looks, but by their intent and the choices they make."

Troutclaw gasped as his body was wracked with spasms from the new life. He gritted his teeth, and through the pain he barely heard Petalstar's mew of farewell as she returned to her starry Clanmates.

A broad-shoulder tomcat stepped up to take her place. His fur was black as night, and his eyes had a warm glow to them.

Troutclaw's eyes widened. "Badgerstep?" his mew was more like a whisper.

The tomcat's eyes shone brighter. "It's been a while, brother."

"Has it ever!" Troutclaw searched his littermate's pelt for the battle wounds that had killed him, but his coat was as sleek and shiny as it had always been, now glittering with starlight. "I've missed you so much! Ravenkit, too. He still wanders around the camp expecting you to jump out and surprise him like you used to."

"I know," Badgerstep said, thinking of his son with a pained smile. "Please tell him and Honeywhisker that it hurt to leave them, but that it was my time to go."

"I will," Troutclaw promised.

Badgerstep nodded, then pressed his muzzle to Troutclaw's head. "With this life, I give you a father's love. You will watch and protect StormClan as if it were your own kit. Guide it, and set it on the path you think is best."

Troutclaw squeezed his eyes shut as another spasm shook his body, this one the strongest of them all. When he opened them again, Badgerstep and the warriors of StarClan were gone, but their scent remained.

"From this moment on, you are no longer Troutclaw." The voices of the ancient cats echoed throughout the moor. "You are Troutstar!"

Troutstar straightened up as the voices faded, and a dark gray tomcat stepped forward, his pelt flecked with ginger. "Troutstar," he said, addressing StormClan's new leader. "Are you ready to go?"

"No, Finchspeck," Troutstar meowed. "I wish to stay a little longer." His brother's image was still fresh in his memory, he didn't want to forget it anytime soon.

"Alright." Finchspeck dipped his head. "But don't be long, we have to return home by sunrise."

Troutstar flicked his tail. "I won't be that long." He watched as the medicine cat padded away, slinking through the grass and fading into the shadows. As soon as Finchspeck was out of sight, he turned and trotted out onto the moor. The storm's rage had subsided a little, but the winds continued to rake the grasslands, ruffling Troutstar's fur. He was surprised when a light drizzle of rain fell, splashing lightly against his muzzle.

 _So it can rain even in StarClan's hunting grounds?_

"Indeed, it can."

A calm mew caught him off-guard, and he spun around to find a cat padding up to him. It was a tomcat, with stars lighting his gray fur. His blue eyes shone with a friendly gleam.

 _Loudstorm..?_

"No, I think his fur's a shade darker than mine," the stranger meowed.

Troutstar froze, blinking. "Did... did you just read my thoughts?"

The tomcat smiled. "Sure did. Well, it was more of an assumption, really. I've been watching you for a while now, and I figured I'd remind you of that one cat."

"You've been watching me?" Troutstar asked carefully, pelt bristling.

"Oh, you don't have to worry, I watch all future leaders of StormClan." The stranger blinked, having realized what he'd just said. "Okay, I know that sounds weird, but I have the right to know my Clan is in safe paws."

Troutstar raised a brow. "Your Clan?"

"Well, yeah," the stranger meowed simply. "After all I went through to found it, I deserve that much."

It took a moment for Troutstar to register his words. Then he stepped back, eyes wide with shock. "F-Found? You mean-"

"I'm Storm," the tom introduced himself. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Troutstar."

"You're StormClan's founder," Troutstar mewed in awe. "You're a legend amongst that Clans! And you've come to see me?"

Storm grinned. "Yep! I waited until your naming ceremony ended so I could come and see you."

"Is there something you wish to share with me?"

Storm's grin faded, and his face grew solemn. "Yes. A prophecy- no, I believe it's more of a warning, really."

Troutstar leaned forward, silently urging him to continue.

"Listen well, young one," Storm told him. "Since my time, cats have often found themselves walking the line of what is forbidden, and there have been those who have dared to cross it." He grew quiet for a moment, a glimmer of remembrance lighting his eye. "Even I have been torn between what my heart wanted, and what was expected of me at the time..."

Troutstar wanted to ask, but Storm continued.

"But soon a cat will come, one whose heart will waver. They too will be torn between duty and desire, and you must let them be."

Troutstar's brows furrowed. "But if one of my cats is wavering, then shouldn't it be my duty to guide them?" He remembered Badgerstep's words; he must protect and look out for his Clan like a father would for his kits.

Storm dipped his head. "I know how much your brother's words mean to you, but there are times when you must let others choose their own path. This cat will waver, and only then will they will realized their true path."

"When will this cat come?"

Storm didn't answer right away. Instead, he turned his gaze upward. The winds had calmed to a gentle breeze, and the dark clouds had parted, revealing a swath of glittering stars. "The time of this cat will come sooner than you think, Troutstar."


	3. Chapter 1

_There's no way you could climb it, no kit ever has!_

The words sounded in Quailkit's ears as he edged further up the Thunderrock. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his mother and brother waiting at the base of the large rock. Stormflower was sitting up straight with her tail curled neatly over her paws, while Cedarkit was watching him with wide worried eyes.

The little tomcat's expression became fearful when Quailkit momentarily slipped on some loose gravel, then relaxed with relief when he regained his footing.

 _I'll show Tadpolekit!_ Quailkit thought, spotting a chink in the stone above him. He reached up and hooked his tiny claws on it, then pulled himself upward. He repeated this action as he continued to climb the Thunderrock. When he reached the top, he let out a little gasp. He could see nearly every inch of the StormClan camp from up here!

Kinkpaw's bright orange pelt stood out from where her mentor, Clearwater, was teaching her a new battle move. StormClan's only other apprentice, Ravenpaw, was chowing down on a field mouse at the fresh-kill pile. His mother, Honeywhisker, was sitting next to him and sharing a conversation with Breezetail, whose belly was round with soon-to-be-born kits. Hawkfoot emerged from the warriors' den with Willowfur, ignoring his attempts to flirt with a deadpanned expression. Quailkit's grandmother, Poolswirl, and another elder, Windsong, were gossiping outside their den as Starlingflight padded up to give them a mouse.

Quailkit grinned smugly. He was probably the only StormClan cat in history to make it this far just as a kit!

 _Tadpolekit will be so jealous!_

"Are you gonna come down soon?" Cedarkit sounded from below.

"I just got here!" Quailkit called down to him, flexing his claws against the stone. "I'll come down when I want to!"

"But-"

"Hush," Stormflower silenced her younger son. "If your brother wishes to show off his skills, then let him be. He'll be a warrior soon enough."

While Cedarkit hung his head in defeat, Quailkit let his gaze wander. Just past the bramble barrier that served as the entrance to StormClan's camp, he could see three figures approaching. Looking closer, he could tell that they were cats.

Bringing up the rear was a big cat with gray fur- Quailkit recognized him as the warrior Loudstorm. He was the biggest cat in all of StormClan, or so he was told.

The cat in front of him had gray fur as well, except his pelt was also splashed with white- that was Hazelnose, Clearwater's brother.

It was when who he realized the cat in the lead was that Quailkit's heart soared with glee. The moment the cat's long dark gray fur caught his eye, he recognized him immediately.

 _He's back!_

"Hey, he's back!" Quailkit shouted down to Cedarkit and Stormflower. "Dad's hunting patrol is back!"

Cedarkit looked up at him with glowing eyes, but his face quickly changed to a look of horror. "Quailkit!" his mew was barely a whisper.

Stormflower shot to her paws, wearing a similar expression to that of her son's. A terrified shriek echoed throughout the camp as one by one the StormClan cats looked to sky in fear and alarm.

Quailkit didn't understand what was going on until he saw a dark shadow pass over the clearing. Swallowing hard, he slowly turned his gaze upward, and sure enough, he realized just why everyone was afraid.

A large bird covered in dark brown feathers circled overhead. Its talons curled into sharp points, and it peered down at the cats with piercing yellow eyes.

 _Hawk!_

Quailkit had no time to react before the hawk, in a sudden movement, dropped down and dove straight toward him. His heart stopped in fear and he squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the inevitable moment when the hawk would sink its claws into him and carry him away.

But that moment never came.

Instead, Quailkit felt something push him out of the way, sending him tumbling down the side of the Thunderrock. As he landed with a grunt at the base, he heard several yowls hit the air. Sitting up, he saw that a black and silver tabby cat had climbed up onto the Thunderrock, and was hissing and swiping his claws at the bird of prey.

 _Troutstar!_

Hawkfoot, Willowfur, and Starlingflight quickly joined him, pelts bristling and yowling in rage. The bird soon realized that it was outnumbered, and took off back into the sky. As the hawk flew out of sight, Quailkit let out a shuddering sigh of relief. He'd almost been carried off, never to see his home again.

Cedarkit ran over to him with Stormflower. "Oh, Quailkit! Are you okay?" he mewed, pressing close to his brother's side.

"He'll be fine," Stormflower said, not giving Quailkit a chance to respond. She gave his ears a lick. "But that's the last time he'll go climbing the Thunderrock, I'll tell you that."

 _I'll say!_ Quailkit thought, another shudder passing through his body. Although the hawk was gone now, the memory of it would haunt him in his nightmares, for sure.

Doekit came over to them with her brother, Tadpolekit, and their mother, Morningcloud, close behind. "You okay, Quailkit?" she asked, eyes round with worry. "That thing almost caught you!"

"Sure did," Tadpolekit added. "Probably spotted you easily 'cause you're a fluffy ball of orange fur. Maybe you should roll around in the mud next time so it won't spot you."

"No teasing." Morningcloud's fur was fluffed up in alarm; she had been the one that let out that shriek earlier. "Your denmate was almost carried off and never seen again, for StarClan's sake! And there's a _reason_ kits aren't allowed to climb Thunderrock by themselves, that's why there won't be a next time!"

At that moment, the bramble barrier rustled and his father's patrol burst through. Loudstorm was carrying a rabbit, Hazelnose two mice, and Creekfeather a squirrel. All three of them came rushing through the clearing, stopping at the Thunderrock and dropping their prey at their paws.

"We saw the hawk," Loudstorm panted.

Creekfeather looked around anxiously. "Is everyone okay?"

A strong mew sounded from above. "Everyone is fine."

The gathered cats looked up to see their leader perched on top of the Thunderrock. His sleek coat was ruffled, and his golden gaze hard. He leaped down and turned to his deputy. "Creekfeather."

Creekfeather stiffened. "Sir?"

"As a Clan, we have rules," Troutstar told him. "Such rules exist to keep all members of the Clan safe, and that includes keeping kits from climbing high places within the camp. Should an incident occur like what just happened, a kit wouldn't be able to defend itself against larger animals. Be sure that your _son_ remembers this well."

"Oh, I'm sure he will," Creekfeather meowed, glancing suspiciously at Quailkit.

"Good." With that said, Troutstar padded away.

Creekfeather swung his head toward his son with narrowed eyes, making Quailkit flinch. "You climbed the Thunderrock." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

Swallowing nervously, Quailkit nodded.

"After I've already told you many times _not_ to, you deliberately disobeyed me."

"Now, hush, Creekfeather," Stormflower said, wrapping her tail over her paws. "He was simply testing his climbing skills, and a hawk had just so happened to be near."

"He could have _died_ , Stormflower!"

"Well, he _wasn't_ , that's what matters. He's going to be a strong warrior someday, so what's the harm in letting him practice his skills early? Besides, after this experience he won't go climbing up there again."

Creekfeather rolled his eyes, quickly realizing he wasn't going to be winning this argument. He gestured to Hazelnose and Loudstorm with a paw, and the two toms took the prey they'd brought in over to the fresh-kill pile.

Just then Quailkit's grandfather, Graywolf, emerged from the elders' den, mewing a gruff greeting to his denmates. The old tomcat had been woken by the commotion, and padded over to join his son and his family. Quailkit resembled him in many ways; they shared the same broad, flat face, snub nose, and bright amber eyes. Though, Graywolf's fur was, well, _gray_ of course, just like Creekfeather's, while Quailkit's was orange tabby.

He'd once wondered where he'd gotten such a brightly colored pelt when his parents were gray and silver, and Poolswirl had told him he and Cedarkit greatly resembled Stormflower's deceased parents. He'd thought it was okay, since his tabby markings were almost an exact copy of Stormflower's.

"Y'all bring in anythin'?" Graywolf asked as he approached them.

"I brought in a squirrel," Creekfeather told his father.

"A squirrel!" Graywolf scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Ya know, in my day we didn' have to moochin' prey off of the other Clans' territory. We kept StormClan fed with what we caught on _our_ land."

"It _was_ on our territory," Creekfeather protested, but Graywolf just shook his head.

"Doesn' matter, squirrels are PineClan and FireClan prey. We hunt birds and rabbits, that's all."

Quailkit chuckled. His grandfather could be stubborn at times, but he often had point to his rambles. He was right; they shouldn't have to eat other Clans' prey to stay fed. Maybe the _other_ Clans would try something like that, but not StormClan. Their pride wouldn't allow it.

A sudden rustling noise caught his attention, and he angled his ears toward the camp entrance. The brambles shook and Berryfrost came charging into camp. The warrior's brown pelt was bristled in alarm as he skidded to a halt, drawing the eyes of every cat in the clearing.

He panted hard, flanks heaving. "T-They've... they've taken them..."

At once, it was sensed there was something wrong.

"Calm down, Berryfrost," Creekfeather said. "What's going on?"

"The Huntingrocks!" Berryfrost exclaimed. "L-LightClan has taken the Huntingrocks!"


	4. Chapter 2

Berryfrost's words were met with dead silence. No cat said a word, everyone just staring at the brown tom, eyes wide and jaws dropped. For a few moments, it was though time had stopped. Then, all of a sudden, the clearing burst out in an uproar of angered and panicked voices.

"Those foxhearts!"

"How could they do this?"

"What do you mean, 'how could they'? They've always hit us when our backs were turned!"

"What about leaf-bare?"

"That's right! It's not too serious now, but what about when the worst of leaf-bare comes?"

"How are we going to get by without the prey from the Huntingrocks?"

Quailkit looked at and listened to the commotion around him. Voice upon voice kept piling over one another, it was hard to pay attention to all of them.

Graywolf growled. "I don't know why everyone's so surprised. This is nothing new for those otters."

Cedarkit blinked at the old tomcat. "You mean... this has happened before?"

Stormflower narrowed her eyes. "They've always made attempts to take the rocks whenever leaf-bare comes around. Usually we're able to defend the Huntingrocks, but there have been times where they succeeded in taking what is rightfully ours."

Quailkit let his mother's words sink in. He hadn't known that StormClan and LightClan had shared such a history. He felt a growl rise in his throat. _So they've always been thieves. How dare they! Why can't they just be satisfied with what they have?_

"It's not like they are without reason," Creekfeather told her. "Prey is scarce for every Clan in leaf-bare. Especially for LightClan when the river freezes over."

Stormflower only gave an annoyed flick of her tail as her response and turned away.

Just then a yowl rang out through the clearing. Looking up, Quailkit saw that Troutstar had climbed back onto the Thunderrock, and was trying to get everyone's attention. The pandemonium soon died down and cats grew quiet as their leader looked down upon them. Quailkit couldn't help but swallow nervously at the intensity of Troutstar's steely gaze.

"This is indeed troubling news," he meowed steadily. "However, we cannot panic and must remain calm. This isn't the first time something like this has occurred. Berryfrost," he turned, addressing the young warrior. "Tell us exactly what you saw."

"It happened when Quickbreeze, Vinetail, and I were patrolling the borders," Berryfrost began. "We went to check the Huntingrocks, and we found some LightClan warriors just sitting there sunning themselves. When we questioned them and told them to leave, they refused. Quickbreeze then responded saying he would make them leave. Seeing that it looked like a fight was going to break out, Vinetail sent me back to get help."

Starlingflight padded up to him. "And you just left them there to fend for themselves?"

Berryfrost flinched at the tom's accusing glare. "W-well, I..."

Troutstar lifted his tail to silence the brewing argument. "Berryfrost obeyed the orders given to him by a superior, like any good warrior should." With this he received a thankful glance from said warrior. "For now, we should turn our attention to providing Quickbreeze and Vinetail with back up." His yellow gaze looked over the group of gathered cats in the clearing, before landing on the clan deputy. "Creekfeather, take a patrol to assist them. You must leave at once."

Creekfeather straightened up. "Yes, sir. Right away."

 _Dad's going!_ Excitement made Quailkit's claws twitch. Beside him, worry sparked in Cedarkit's eyes as the two of them watched Creekfeather put the patrol together. From the looks of it, it seemed he was taking Berryfrost, Hawkfoot, Starlingflight, and Willowfur with him.

"I hope they'll be alright..." he mewed.

"Don't worry," Quailkit told him. "We've got the best warriors in the world on our side. We're not gonna let those fish-lovers take what's ours!"

"Yeah!" Doekit gave Cedarkit's shoulder a friendly nudge. "They know what they're doing, so cheer up."

Tadpolekit's whiskers twitched. "What I wouldn't give to see the battle. I wish we could go!"

Quailkit sighed. "Me too."

Stormflower gave his ears an affectionate lick. "You'll get your chance someday."

Morningcloud moved to sit beside her. "I hope that day doesn't come too soon," she said, watching as Creekfeather and his patrol headed out.

The rest of clan had clustered into anxious, quietly gossiping groups. It was when he saw the two apprentices resuming their training across the clearing that Quailkit thought of an idea. _It's risky, if we get caught we're gonna be in a heck of a lot of trouble. But it 's going to be worth it._ He turned to look up at his mother. "Mom, is it okay if Cedarkit, Doekit, Tadpolekit, and I go watch Clearwater and Kinkpaw while they practice?" At Stormflower's raised brow he added: "I figured it might help us get a head start on learning what it means to be a warrior." When he saw her eyes light up with pride, he couldn't help but inwardly smirk. _Works every time._

"I suppose it would be alright," she meowed. "I wanted to go over and speak with Breezetail anyway, so just make sure you behave yourselves and don't get in their way."

"We won't." Quailkit started to pad across the clearing, beckoning his brother and denmate to follow.

"Are you sure they'll be alright?" he heard Morningcloud mew as the two she-cats trotted off to find their fellow queen. "You know how much trouble kits can get into."

"They'll be fine," Stormflower purred. "My little warrior will be sure to keep an eye on them."

Quailkit stopped in the middle of the clearing, with the other kits nearly colliding into him. He made sure his mother and her friend were out of sight, then looked around to see if there were any onlookers. Too distracted with their own affairs, no cat was paying any attention to the youngest members of the clan. Seeing this as their chance to slip away unnoticed, he changed courses and headed straight towards the camp entrance, with the other three kits in tow.

Cedarkit glanced over his shoulder. "Um, Quailkit, Kinkpaw and Clearwater are back over there..."

"He's right," Tadpolekit said, quickening his pace to pad at Quailkit's side. "We sure aren't going to watch any cat train, that much is obvious. So where _are_ we going? "

Quailkit smiled. "You wanted to go see a battle, we're gonna go see battle."


	5. Chapter 3

The brambles scraped Quailkit's orange tabby pelt as he wriggled out of the entrance barrier. Just as he stumbled out into the beyond, a strong gust of wind blew over him. He had to dig his tiny claws into the earth to keep himself from tumbling away. Cedarkit, Doekit, and Tadpolekit followed suit, and together the four kits stared out onto the moor for the first time. A vast grassland stretched out far and wide, seeming to go on to the horizon. Harsh freezing winds roared, with patches of grass swaying violently in their wake. It was almost completely empty, save for a few large rocks protruding from the ground. Dark clouds swirled overhead and quiet rumbles could be heard, indicating a brewing storm.

Cedarkit shivered. "Are we really sure we want to do this? If we go back now, they might let us off easy for sneaking out of camp."

Quailkit snorted. "Don't be silly, we've come this far! We're going to the Huntingrocks!"

Beside him, the fur along Tadpolekit's spine bristled. "We can't chicken out now!"

"Uh, one question," Doekit piped up, padding around her brother to face Quailkit. "Just how do you plan on finding the Huntingrocks, oh great leader?"

Quailkit blinked. He hadn't thought of that, but he wasn't about to admit it out loud. "Um, well, don't you know? They're on our side of the river. We find the river, we find the Huntingrocks!"

"Okay, so which way is the river?" Doekit asked innocently.

"Um... well..."

Doekit's eyes glittered with laughter. "Oh, I see! You were planning on following the patrol's scent trail weren't you?"

"O-Of course!" _Why didn't I think of that?_ Quailkit opened his jaws and tasted the air. It stung with the cold and had many different scents mingled together, but he could clearly pick out his father's and the others' scents. "It's this way!" Following the trail, he pushed past Doekit and led the way onto the moor. When the other three followed, he heard Doekit let out a purr of amusement behind him and he suppressed an irritated growl. _Stupid know-it-all..._

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"Hey, are we lost?"

Quailkit shot a fierce look over his shoulder at Tadpolekit. "Of course not!" he snapped. "It's just... taking longer to get there than I thought." It was true. They had been going on for a while now, and they hadn't even reached the edge of the moor yet. Quailkit's ears were flattened in annoyance. _Just how big is the moor anyway?!_

"Can we stop for a bit?" Cedarkit asked, panting heavily as he struggled to keep up with the others. "My paws ache."

Quailkit looked back at his brother, who had been bringing up the rear of their little group. He let out a sigh. Of course he would never admit it, but his paws were starting to ache a little as well. _I guess we have been walking for a while now..._ "Alright, we can stop for a rest."

"Oh thank StarClan!" Cedarkit collapsed, heaving a sigh of relief at the chance to catch his breath. Doekit took the opportunity to pick out some grass blades that had gotten tangled in her fluffy kit fur. Quailkit decided to follow her example and began to run his claws through his thick tail, pulling out any twigs or grass that he found.

"I'll go to the top of that hill over there and see if we're close," Tadpolekit told them, pointing with his tail tip to said hilltop. The only responses he got were two grunts and a 'go ahead' from his sister.

As he went to start climbing up the hill, Doekit finished her grooming and looked up at the sky. The rumbles had gotten louder from when they had started off. "I wonder if we'll be able to get back before the storm hits."

"Probably not," Cedarkit mewed lazily, rolling over to expose his white belly. He groaned. "It's going to be such a pain going home in the rain."

Quailkit raised a brow at him. "Is that how a warrior talks?"

"Most likely no, but I'm not a warrior, am I?"

"No, but you're going to be someday, aren't you? You need to toughen up!"

"Mmhmm..."

"Hey!" Quailkit went over and butted Cedarkit with his head. "Don't ignore me while I'm lecturing you!" He shot a glare at Doekit when he heard her giggling at their banter. "You're not helping!"

"Sorry, but you two are just too funny!"

Before Quailkit could retort, Tadpolekit's voice sounded from a distance. "Hey, you guys! You gotta check this out!" he called to them from his spot on the hilltop.

 _I hope it's what I think it is_ , Quailkit thought, hope rising in his chest. As he and the others climbed the grassy slope, they could see many tall figures coming into view. When they reached the top, Quailkit's jaw dropped. _It is!_

"The forest!" he gasped. The kits gazed with amazement at the huge trees that lined the edge of the moor, almost completely barren of any foliage. The few leaves that were left were crinkled up and of a dark brown hue; they seemed to thrash wildly in the rushing wind. Not waiting for the others, Quailkit barreled downhill.

 _This day's just getting better and better! And we haven't even reached the battlefield yet!_

Ignoring his littermate's and denmates' calls, Quailkit continued to run on ahead as their voices seemed to get farther and farther away. The trees towered high above him as he tore through. So many new and different scents of the wood flooded his nose. His heart pounded in his ears. This was all so exciting, and yet so scary at the same time. It wasn't long until he found something lying on the path ahead. As he get closer to it, he saw that a large tree had fallen on its side.

Quailkit slowed his pace to keep himself from crashing and skidded to a halt in front of it. He panted heavily, trying to catch his breath. His ears twitched, picking up a gurgling noise on the other side of the tree trunk. He listened closer, finding that it was actually the sound of rushing water.

 _The river! That must mean..._

If the river was on the other side, then all he'd have to do was follow it and it'd eventually lead him to the Huntingrocks.

 _Alright! Now I just have to get over this tree._

He frowned slightly. It wasn't going to be easy. Especially seeing that from where he was standing, he couldn't see all the way over the trunk, meaning he couldn't tell just how big it was. He might be able to jump it, but...

 _If I don't make it, I could just end up falling back on my tail. Still... it's worth a shot!_

Quailkit crouched down, eyes focused on the top of the tree trunk. He flexed his claws, preparing to hook onto the bark if he had to. Then, pushing hard with his hind legs, he leaped. It seemed he overestimated the size of the fallen tree, as he flew over it quite easily. However, the other side of the trunk was a sheer drop straight down to the river. Fear gripping into his heart like thorns, Quailkit had no time to cry out for help before he plunged through the water's surface.


	6. Chapter 4

Quailkit crashed through the water's surface like a stone, its freezing temperature chilling him to the bone. Tiny fishes scurried away as he struggled to swim. River water stung his eyes and flooded his mouth when he tried to call for help. He clenched his jaw to keep from swallowing any more. His world got darker as the water engulfed him completely and he sank deeper.

 _Somebody help me!_

Rocks grazed his side, and then his spine as he tumbled downstream with the river's flow. He flailed his paws wildly, trying to swim back up to the surface, where streams of sunlight pierced through the murky green water. Looking up, he saw a shadowed figure above the water. _A cat?_ Hope momentarily rose in his chest, before he was seized by panic as his back hit another submerged stone, knocking his last breath from him. He felt his chest heaved with the struggle to not take in anymore water. His head was dizzy from the lack of air, and his surroundings seemed to start fading away into darkness.

 _Is this the end for me...?_

Then he saw it; a shape that was moving steadily toward him. A cat, a tom. Quailkit could just make out his gray pelt through the gloom as he swam closer.

 _Dad?_

Teeth gripped Quailkit's scruff. With a jerk, he found himself above the rushing water, dangling from the cat's jaws. The cat turned and swam against the current, towards the shore. Quailkit coughed and trembled, desperate to gulp in air. He shivered, the cold air hitting his face and even colder water soaking him to the bone.

"Is he alright?"

 _Cedarkit?_ Quailkit recognized the kit's brown pelt as he called from his place on the shore. He also saw that Doekit and Tadpolekit were with him. With a great heave, the cat carrying him hauled him up out of the water. He scrambled from the river and onto the bank, dropping him beside his brother and denmates.

"Quailkit!" Cedarkit wove his small body around Quailkit's, trying to soak water from his brother's thick fur into his own. "Are you okay? I was so worried!"

The great amount of concern in his eyes made Quailkit feel guilty. "I-I'm sorry... and thank you." He leaned into Cedarkit's warmth, his familiar scent soothing away the panic he had felt before. It was then that he realized: _I should probably thank Dad as well._ He turned, expecting to see his father sitting not to far away and wanting to thank him for coming to his rescue. Who he saw, however, was not who he'd hoped for.

"Finchspeck?!" Quailkit stared with wide eyes, watching as the small cat was shaking river water from his gray and ginger pelt. The StormClan medicine cat was certainly that last one he'd expect to see all the way out here. What was even more surprising was that it was a medicine cat that had come to his rescue, not a warrior.

 _Not to mention that's the second time I had to be saved today!_ Quailkit thought miserably.

"Finchspeck found us in the forest," Doekit explained.

At his mention, Finchspeck shot a glance at the kits. "What I found were three kits wandering around aimlessly, calling out for their lost friend. And when we found him, we saw him jump into the river." He glared at Quailkit. "What's wrong with you? Who goes tossing themselves recklessly into freezing cold water?"

"I thought if I made it over I'd land on the bank!" Quailkit tried to protest, but Finchspeck ignored him.

"And more importantly," the tomcat continued, "What in the name of StarClan are you four doing all the way out here?! Kits aren't even allowed outside of camp! What would your mothers think? You obviously didn't tell them where you were going, otherwise they wouldn't have let you go anywhere near the camp entrance, let alone out here in the forest."

Quailkit and Cedarkit leaned closer to each other, both trembling with fear under the medicine cat's burning gaze. Despite supposing to be a healer, Finchspeck was well known throughout all the clans for his frightening temper.

Tadpolekit flinched away from the tom and cowered behind his sister, who had dug her claws into the ground to keep herself from running away. "W-We just w-wanted t-to see the battle!" he stuttered.

Finchspeck pricked his ears. "Did you say... battle?"

Doekit swallowed. "Y-Yes. LightClan cats are attempting to take the Huntingrocks. Creekfeather took a patrol out to counterattack them."

Finchspeck's eyes blazed at her words, and all four kits let out small yelps of terror. Ignoring them, Finchspeck began pacing. "A battle?! At this time of year?!" he growled to himself. Anger was coming of him in waves now. "I've already told Troutstar hundreds of times now that my stock depletes rapidly during leaf-bare, and how it's difficult to replenish it whenever the frost keeps killing everything. He knows I don't have what I need to treat serious battle wounds, but does he listen to me? No!"

Doekit edged closer to Quailkit and Cedarkit, never taking her eyes off the still-ranting medicine cat. "What do we do now?" she mewed in a quiet voice.

"Maybe if we back away slowly he won't notice us," Quailkit whispered back. "Then we can make a break for it." Before they could, however, Finchspeck suddenly stopped his ranting and snapped his gaze back to the kits. Quailkit's heart nearly stopped, silently praying that he hadn't heard what they'd said.

"You said the battle was over Huntingrocks, correct?" Finchspeck asked slowly. At Doekit's nod, his eyes narrowed into golden slits. "Very well, if those fools want to battle, then I'll just have to put a stop to it. You kits come along, I won't have you wandering off again."

He trotted past them, gesturing for them to follow with a twitch of his tail. The four kits looked to each other with nervous glances, before hesitantly padding after him.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Quailkit stayed quiet as he and the other kits padded in a single file behind Finchspeck. The five cats trekked alongside the river. "If we follow the river upstream we'll eventually get to the Huntingrocks," Finchspeck had said. He'd also warned them not to fall in while shooting a pointed look at Quailkit. Quailkit inwardly groaned whilst remembering that event.

 _He didn't have to go and remind me._

Indeed, the fact that his legs were now splattered with mud and his fur matted into clumps was enough of a reminder.

 _Mom's going to have a fit when she sees me..._

Quailkit's ears twitch as he felt a drops of water land on them. He looked up to see that it'd had started raining since they'd left the river bank. It wasn't anything too harsh, just a light drizzle. He couldn't even feel much of it since they were under the cover of trees, but the rumbling from earlier had gotten louder. Behind him, he heard Cedarkit gasp at a particularly strong reverberate.

Quailkit looked over at Finchspeck, who was trotting steadily in front of him. The medicine cat's fur was ruffled against the bitter cold, though seemingly unfazed by the rain or the thunder. "Um, hey, Finchspeck?" The tomcat didn't respond, but he flicked his ears in acknowledgement. "I was wondering, what are you doing out here so close to the border?"

Finchspeck shot a sharp glance over his shoulder at him, and for a moment Quailkit wondered if that was too bold of him to ask, but Finchspeck responded with: "Around this time I lose a lot of my medicine inventory either to sickness or frost. I was out here hoping I could restock my supplies before leaf-bare really sets in, but so far I've had no luck." A growl rumbled in his throat. "And if those foolish warriors keep getting into fights I won't have anything to treat them with."

Quailkit's brows furrowed. "But they're fighting to protect what's rightfully ours. Isn't that great?"

Finchspeck sighed in frustration. " _'What's rightfully ours'_ , you say." He shook his head. "Kit, you're too naive. If you'd try looking at the bigger picture, you would understand. You have much to learn about this world and the way it works if you want to live in it."


	7. Chapter 5

The rain made _pitter patter_ sounds as it continued to drizzle down from the dark sky. The forest trees swayed slightly with the cool wind. During their ongoing journey to the Huntingrocks, Finchspeck and the kits had fallen into an uncomfortable silence.

Quailkit shivered with cold as he padded behind the StormClan medicine cat. He felt Cedarkit and Doekit's brush his own on both sides. The four kits stayed huddled close to each other, as Finchspeck instructed them to when it started getting chillier. _How much longer is it going to take?_ Quailkit thought as he heard Tadpolekit's teeth chatter on Doekit's other side. _It's getting colder, and I don't know how much more we can take..._

In front of them, Finchspeck came to a sudden stop, causing the kits to almost wreck into him. His ears were pricked and his attention had seemed to be drawn to something in the distance.

"Is... is something wrong?" Doekit asked hesitantly.

Finchspeck stared straight ahead. "You four should take cover. Right now."

Curious, Quailkit was about to ask why, until his heart nearly stopped when an ear-piercing screech hit the air. The moment it reached their ears the kits let out yelps of terror, clustering close together, fearing for their lives.

Finchspeck was the first to take action, hurryingly nudging the kits into the hollowed out base of a tree. "Stay here," he told them, his mew grave. "Whatever happens, whatever you hear, do not move from this spot until I've returned." Before they could say anything to stop him, he was gone.

Fear gripped Quailkit's heart as loud yowls rang out. What was that? Was that the sounds of battle? Did that mean they were close to the Huntingrocks? He wasn't sure, but those sounds still terrified him all the same. They were yowls of anger, and screeches of pain. Beside him, Cedarkit was shaking, his eyes wide with fright. His breathing had sped up and his chest was slightly heaving.

Doekit and Tadpolekit were pressed against his other side, trembling slightly as they struggled to contain their rising panic. Quailkit knew that the four of them were probably thinking the same thing.

 _What do we do?_

He himself had questions whirling around in his head. Should they really just sit here and wait for Finchspeck to come back? What if an enemy warrior finds them? They might try and kill them! But would a LightClan cat really stoop to killing kits to get back at another Clan? They might, or maybe they would take them as hostages.

 _Then they could use us as leverage against StormClan!_ Quailkit felt himself tremble at the thought. He would rather die than be used to force his clan to admit defeat! _But... what choice would I have? I'm just a kit. I couldn't stop a full-fledged warrior from taking us if he wanted to. I can't protect the others, I probably couldn't even defend myself..._

It was at that moment that he heard it. Through the brewing storm, above the howling wind, a single voice rose above the cries of battle. Quailkit recognized almost instantly; it was Quickbreeze.

"Appleblossom!" the tabby and white warrior shouted. "How dare you hunt in StormClan territory? These rocks belong to _us_!"

"Ha! After today, the Huntingrocks will just be another LightClan hunting ground!" a feminine voice spat back.

Quailkit heard the tomcat let out a snarl. "Why you-"

"No, Quickbreeze!" a new voice interrupted, one Quailkit knew well.

 _Dad!_

"This is pointless, there are too many enemy warriors!" Despite the chaos, Creekfeather's meow was steady. "We should retreat for now."

"But-"

"I agree." Quailkit recognized that voice as Finchspeck.

"Finchspeck! What are you doing here?" Creekfeather asked, obviously surprised at the medicine cat's presence.

"That doesn't matter now." Finchspeck's tone was edged with a growl. "This must stop. I will not have any more bloodshed!"

At his words, Quailkit gained a new respect for the tom. He wasn't even a warrior, and yet he still threw himself into the middle of a battle in an effort to stop it. Quailkit didn't know if he was brave, or just plain stubborn. For a moment he couldn't hear any particular voice stand out, until he heard his father yowl: "Retreat, StormClan! Retreat!"

Almost at once the sounds of hisses and snarls sounded as Quailkit imagined the StormClan warriors diving down into the line of trees. A moment later caterwauls of victory rang out. Quailkit felt bitter at the sound of it.

 _They're celebrating._

The jubilant cries stung deep into Quailkit's heart. All traces of fear were gone, now being replaced with anger. Quailkit could just hear the smugness in the LightClan cats' voices, and he felt a growl well up in his chest. How could something like this happen? How could StormClan be forced to _retreat_ of all things?! Quailkit's face twisted into a grim expression, his eyes furious amber slits.

 _You're going to pay someday, LightClan. Just you wait..._


	8. Chapter 6

Not long after the battle ended, Finchspeck returned to collect the kits, with Creekfeather in tow. Needless to say, the StormClan deputy was absolutely furious to see his sons and their denmates so far away from camp, to see them even _outside_ the camp. With blazing eyes he marched them along with his patrol back home. The moment they stepped into camp the young kits were met with the panicked calls of their mothers. Morningcloud had swept Doekit and Tadpolekit into a tight embrace while crying hysterically. At the same time, Stormflower bombarded Quailkit and Cedarkit with questions of what they had been thinking and how could they have been so foolish. But all that had been nothing compared to Troutstar's reaction.

Quailkit shivered, remembering the clan leader's molten gold gaze as he was told of their little escapade. Troutstar had deemed the kits grounded and confined to the nursery until further notice.

Quailkit let out a groan. He just had to go and remind himself of that, didn't he? It had been the most shameful moment of his life. He could still feel the whole of StormClan's gazes burning into his pelt as their leader scolded him for encouraging his brother and denmates to participate in such reckless behavior. Pushing the thought from his mind, he curled deeper into the nest he shared with his littermate and mother. Cedarkit wheezed a little as breathed from his place beside him. He was sound asleep. Angling his ears, Quailkit could hear Doekit and Tadpolekit play with a feather not too far away.

"This is boring!" Tadpolekit complained.

Quailkit could pick up Doekit's irritated mutter: "That's what you said about all the other games we played."

"Because we've played them all before! How 'bout we play 'Hunter' again? It's about the only game that isn't _absolutely_ boring."

"Fine, if you insist."

"Okay, you be the rabbit and I'll be the warrior!"

"What? I was the rabbit last time!"

"Were not!"

"Was too!"

A scuffle broke out between the two siblings, both of them letting out squeaks of defiance and triumph.

"Watch who you're rolling into!" came the cross meow of Breezetail, who had been dozing off in her own nest in the corner of the den. Doekit and Tadpolekit must've rolled into her during their little 'battle'.

Quailkit wasn't surprised that the tabby queen was a bit cranky. Graywolf had told him that pregnant she-cats could get emotional at times, plus Breezetail had gotten hardly any sleep with Troutstar and the other queens checking up on her almost every second of the day. Though that was to be expected, seeing as how she was due any day now. With their friend in that condition, Stormflower and Morningcloud tended to her and made sure she didn't do anything to strenuous. Heck, they didn't even let her get her own meals most of the time. Usually Troutstar brought prey from the fresh-kill pile for her.

 _For a scary cat, Troutstar is actually a pretty loving mate._

Indeed, the clan leader came to visit Breezetail almost every day, except when Breezetail just wanted to sleep. The whole clan thought he was going to be a great father, even Finchspeck had said he might not do too bad of a job.

Finchspeck. He was almost as frightening as Troutstar when he was angry, maybe even more so. Quailkit could still remember the chewing out he gave Troutstar when they returned to camp. Troutstar couldn't even get a word in, and could only nod as the medicine cat continued his rant.

A rustling noise caught Quailkit's attention. He lifted his head to see a familiar orange pelt sliding through the bramble entrance of the nursery.

"Kinkpaw!" Tadpolekit broke away from his sister and bounced over to the crooked-tailed apprentice.

Breezetail eyed the sparrow that hung from Kinkpaw's jaws. "What brings you here?"

Kinkpaw padded over to the queen's nest and set it down in front of her. "Troutstar asked me to bring this to you. He's busy organizing a patrol."

"For what?'' Doekit asked as Breezetail bit into her meal.

"To take to LightClan's camp."

This caught everyone's attention. Breezetail looked up sharply from her bird concern sparking in her eyes. "He's not planning a raid, is he?"

Kinkpaw shook her head. "No. He says he wants to negotiate with Thistlestar about the Huntingrocks."

Thistlestar. He was LightClan's leader.

 _Lousy bunch of thieves..._

Quailkit felt a growl rise in his throat as he remembered the jubilant cries of those LightClan cats after their victory over StormClan. Their smug and arrogant yowls of triumph were ingrained into his mind.

 _They will_ _pay someday. When I'm a warrior,_ I'llmake _them pay..._

Doekit's voice interrupted his thoughts. "I heard from Windsong that StormClan and LightClan share a long history."

Breezetail swallowed a mouthful of prey. "What she told you is true. The rivalry between our two clans goes back a long time. Back to the days of our founders."

Tadpolekit blinked. "Really? That long?"

Breezetail nodded. "It's quite a story. Tell me, you know of the five great founders of the Clans, don't you?"

"I do," Kinkpaw meowed. "Their names were Fire, Pine, Storm, Light, and Cave."

"That's right. It's said that long ago they journeyed far and wide to find this land. When they arrived, they found that those living here were in a state of great turmoil."

Doekit's eyes were wide. "What kind land of turmoil?"

"The cats were always warring with each other over prey or territory. Because of this, they neglected the land and it fell into ruin. Prey was scarce, and cats were falling to sickness and starvation. It was then that the great founders decided to save this land and its residents. They brought the cats together and divided into five groups. Fire and his followers settled in the forest to the west. Pine and his cats took to the forest in the north. Cave and those who followed him had taken to the vast caverns that ran underground. Light and her group choose to live by the river. Our founder, Storm, had fallen in love with the moor, so that's where he and his cats settled. Together, the five set rules and borders to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the land again. They brought peace. However..."

Breezetail smiled as her listeners leaned closer to hear more of the story, and she continued, "The five groups soon fell into conflict. Fire and Pine, while good friends, had never seen eye to eye, and argued over boundaries multiple times. Storm and Light constantly fought over possession of the Huntingrocks. And they all had problems with how Cave's territory ran under theirs in the caves below. This went on for quite a while, until a day came that would change the cats' relationships forever. With the constant fighting over territory, a huge battle eventually broke out between Storm and Light's groups. Storm had argued that since the rocks were on his side of the river, they were his. Light had said that her cats needed the prey more than him, so the rocks should be hers. Fire and Cave had taken Light's side, and Pine had taken Storm's. Pine and Storm were very close, closer than brothers, even. Pine had promised to always be there for Storm, and this time was no exception."

Quailkit was listening intently, and silently urged Breezetail to continue.

"However, they did not know of the tragedy that would soon befall them. In the midst of the battle, exhausted from fighting, Storm collapsed. An enemy cat decided to take advantage of this and attacked him. Just as the cat was about to land the finishing blow, Pine leaped in front of Storm, shielding him from the blow. Storm had watched in horror as Pine, the cat he'd thought of as a brother, fell to the ground in a pool of blood. Filled with rage and grief, Storm killed Pine's murderer. As the attacker lay dying, Storm mourned over Pine's death. This one event changed everything. It's said that the cat who attacked them was one of Light's cats, and some believe it to have been Light herself. Either way, Storm had never forgiven the river-cats, and Pine's group blamed all three of the opposing clans for starting the battle that had taken their beloved leader's life. This has carried on even to this day. Even now, our clan shares a close alliance with PineClan, and wars with LightClan over the Huntingrocks."

As Breezetail finished the story, her words were met with silence, which, after a while, Kinkpaw broke with a quiet, "Whoa".

Doekit and Tadpolekit just stared at Breezetail in awe, while Cedarkit continued to sleep, unaware anything had happened at all.

Speechless, Quailkit felt his pelt prickle with excitement and wonder. This was part of his clan's history. He hadn't known that StormClan and LightClan's rivalry stemmed from such tragedy. And did their clan really share such closeness with PineClan?

 _Maybe being stuck in the nursery won't so bad after all._


	9. Chapter 7

Quailkit peered over the top of the hill, pressing his body against the soft grass beneath. He could just make out the rabbit's brown fur and skinny frame as it lazily chewed on its meal at the base of the slope, unknown of its one onlooker. He stilled himself, then, with a great push of his hind legs, he leaped over the hilltop and charged forward. The rabbit instantly took action, springing to its paws in an attempt to get away, but Quailkit was too quick for it. He launched himself at the terrified creature and landed squarely on its back. Pinning it to the ground, his jaws watered as he bent his head to deal the killing blow-

 _Wham._

A great force slammed into his back, and just like that, his dream melted away, and he shot open his eyes to find himself in the nursery. Two of Breezetail's kits, Badgerkit and Emeraldkit, were wrestling together on the earthy floor of the den while their sister Sunnykit curled up with their mother and the youngest of the four, Dewkit. The two tiny toms rolled around until they were nearly on top of Quailkit.

Quailkit crinkled his nose in annoyance and gave the nearest kit a hard shove. "Get off!"

 _That rabbit was nearly mine!_

The two kits went unbothered by the shove, instead rolling over all the way into the nest. At this, Quailkit had to suppress a growl.

 _Get out, you stupid furballs, or else you'll-_

"Mmm-what? W-What's goin' on?"

 _Wake Cedarkit up..._ Quailkit sighed as his brother blinked open his tired eyes from his place snuggled beside him. _And he looked so peaceful too..._

An annoyed huff sounded from Stormflower as she nudged the younger kits away with a hind paw, sending them tumbling back towards their mother's nest. Quailkit lifted his head to look around the rest of the den. Morningcloud and her kits were nowhere to be seen.

 _Must've gotten up early._

Nearly three moons had gone by since Quailkit and his denmates' little adventure, and since they had been grounded to the nursery. After a moon and a half, Troutstar had decided that they'd been punished enough, and let them leave the nursery. They were allowed to go around camp again, so long as their mothers knew where they were and who they were with at all times. Looking back, their time stuck in the nursery wasn't all that bad, given that Breezetail had plenty of stories to tell, but that stopped once she got a pawful of kits to take care of.

Quailkit rose to his paws, opening his jaws in a great yawn as he stretched his forepaws. He then hauled himself out of the nest and padded over to the den entrance. Peering out, he could make out Kinkpaw's orange coat as she and Ravenpaw circled each other in the clearing, most likely practicing battle moves. Their mentors, Starlingflight and Clearwater, were sharing a meal not too far away, occasionally looking up to make sure their apprentices didn't get too carried away. Outside the elders' den, Windsong seemed to be going into a long-winded speech about how things were 'back in her day'. Graywolf was lying not too far away, eyes closed and giving a nod every once in a while to reassure the old she-cat he was listening, while Poolswirl groomed his nicked ears affectionately.

Quailkit's heart swelled with love for his grandparents at the sight. _StarClan bless 'em, they're just about the only cats in StormClan that can endure that old bag's rants._

"That was a dirty trick!" Kinkpaw's yowl caught his attention. He snapped his gaze back to her just in time to see Ravenpaw roll away from her and spring to his paws.

Ravenpaw gave his chest fur a few quick licks. "It wasn't a trick, just pure skill!" he said, grinning triumphantly at his denmate.

"Where's Doekit and Tadpolekit?" Cedarkit sounded from Quailkit's side, having fully woken up.

"I'm not sure," Quailkit meowed, scanning the camp. "There!"

Morningcloud and her kits were sitting beside the fresh-kill pile. Morningcloud was giving Tadpolekit a wash while the little tom squirmed uncomfortably under her tongue. Doekit's spotted pelt was smooth and glossy from a fresh grooming, and the she-kit sat up straight with her tail curled neatly over her paws.

 _Wonder what they're getting all gussied up for..._ Quailkit couldn't help but snicker at the annoyed look on Tadpolekit's face. He did not envy the older kit at the moment.

"What are they doing over there?" Cedarkit asked.

"I don't know. Maybe they're-" Quailkit broke off as he spotted the ferns outside the clan leader's den tremble. The fronds swished and Troutstar slid out, his frame trembling slightly as he stretched, half in and half out of the den.

The StormClan leader then bounded up onto the Thunderrock. "Let all those old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Thunderrock for a clan meeting!" he yowled.

Quailkit looked over his shoulder at his mother, who was also awake now. "What's going on?"

"Just keep quiet and watch," Stormflower replied. "Come, we'll sit with your father."

Squeezing out of the nursery, Stormflower led her kits across the clearing over to where Creekfeather sat chatting with the senior warrior, Loudstorm. Meanwhile, the rest of the clan started to gather. Finchspeck emerged from his den, specks of leaves clinging to his pelt as he padded over to sit in the shadow of Thunderrock. Berryfrost and his sister, Hawkfoot, pushed their way out of the warriors' den with Willowfur and Hazelnose not too far behind. The three elders had stopped their conversation to listen.

"I wanna see what's going on!" Quailkit heard Badgerkit's whine as his mother tugged him by the tail back into the nursery.

"You're not old enough to catch prey," Breezetail told him, also scooping up Sunnykit who tried to sneak past her. Once the kits were all settled she turned to watch her mate and leader.

At Troutstar's call, Morningcloud stopped washing Tadpolekit, both of her kits now sitting straight up with gleaming pelts and puffed out chests. Their eyes shone with pride.

Quailkit realized with a jolt what was going on. "It's their apprentice ceremony!"

"Hush!" Stormflower hissed. "Cedarkit, stop squirming!"

"S-Sorry," Cedarkit mumbled. He scooted closer to his brother. "I wish it was our turn."

"Don't worry," Quailkit whispered to him. "We're not that much younger than them. Another moon or two and we'll be apprentices, too."

Troutstar cleared his throat. "Cats of StormClan," he began. "today we are gathered for one of the most important ceremonies any young clan cat will experience: being made an apprentice. Doekit and Tadpolekit have been with us for six moons, and have learned what it means to be a StormClan cat. It is now time they learn what it means to be a StormClan warrior."

Murmurs of approval rippled through the crowd of cats, though Quailkit caught a quiet remark from Stormflower. "I can't believe we're training half-breeds now," she was whispering to Creekfeather. "Next we'll be taking on rabbits as apprentices."

Quailkit bristled at his mother's comment. It was well-known that no-one seemed to know the identity of the father of Morningcloud's kits. The rumor going around was that he was a loner or a kittypet or, StarClan forbid, a warrior from another clan. Quailkit honestly didn't know what to make of it, but he couldn't believe Stormflower would say such things.

 _Morningcloud's her friend for StarClan's sake!_

Quailkit wanted to call his mother out on her unkind words, but he didn't want to spoil his friends' special day. The two older kits held their heads high, looking as if they were going to burst with pride.

"Doekit!"

When Troutstar called her name, Doekit stepped forward, swallowing nervously as she met her leader's steely gaze. She seemed to let out a relieved sigh when she saw his yellow eyes soften.

"Hazelnose," Troutstar went on. "You were an excellent mentor to Quickbreeze. You taught him to have courage and honor as a warrior of StormClan. I trust you'll do the same with Doepaw."

The gray and white warrior dipped his head respectfully. "I will make her a warrior StormClan can be proud of. I give you my word, Troutstar," he meowed. He trotted over to touch noses with his new apprentice.

"Tadpolekit, step forward." Troutstar beckoned the tom with his tail. Tadpolekit complied, and the clan leader continued on. "Hawkfoot, this will be your first apprentice. Graywolf was your mentor, and I know you will pass on all the fine skills he taught you to Tadpolepaw."

Head held high, the red-brown warrior padded forward to stand beneath Thunderrock. "I will, Troutstar," she responded coolly. The stoic expression on her face gave away no emotion, but her eyes were gleaming with pride.

Tadpolepaw practically skipped over to her, and the two cats touched noses.

As Quailkit watched all this unfold, he couldn't stop the uneasy feeling gnawing at his belly. Tonight, the nursery residents would be down by three. The friends he had shared most of the first part of his life with were leaving him behind, moving away to other dens and moving on with their lives.

:

:

:

* * *

 **Badgerkit - black tom, yellow eyes**

 **Emeraldkit - dark gray tabby tom, big green eyes**

 **Sunnykit - creamy tabby she-cat, lavender eyes**

 **Dewkit - gray and white tom, yellow eyes**


	10. Chapter 8

"Doepaw!"

"Tadpolepaw!"

"Doepaw!"

"Tadpolepaw!"

"Doepaw! Tadpolepaw!" Quailkit yowled the names with his clanmates. Morningcloud's proud mew rose above the crowd's, her eyes shining. Out of the corner of his eye, Quailkit could see Ravenpaw and Kinkpaw making their way towards their new denmates as the clan's cheers began to die down and the crowd started to disperse.

Beside him, Cedarkit sighed. "I'm sure gonna miss them."

Creekfeather bent down to touch his nose to his younger son's head. "It's not as though they're going far away. They'll be just across the camp, you'll still be able to see them."

Cedarkit looked up at him. "But they'll be too busy with apprentice duties to spend time with us."

"That's how it is. They're training to be warriors now," Stormflower said sternly. "A true warrior does not waste his time with silly games and chit-chat."

Her words only seemed to sadden Cedarkit more, and Creekfeather shot his mate a sharp glance at the crestfallen look that came onto the little kit's face. "Let's go congratulate them, shall we?" he meowed, trying to stay positive. "I'm sure they'll be grateful for your support."

With that, the StormClan deputy swept his plumy tail around his sons and led them across the clearing, leaving Stormflower to pad off to the fresh-kill pile for breakfast. Quailkit's paws felt heavy as he padded forward to congratulate his friends on their apprenticeship. He was able to take a closer look at the two of them as he neared, his heart sinking at the realization of how grown-up they looked compared to himself. Tadpolepaw had grown nearly a head taller than him the last few moons, and Doepaw's pretty dappled coat was as sleek and shiny as a warrior's already.

A group of their clanmates had surrounded the new apprentices and their mentor's, offering their commendations. Willowfur could be seen among them, pushing past others to move closer to Hawkfoot, all the while a big cheeky grin adorned his features.

"It's about time Troutstar gave you an apprentice," he told her. "You're one of the best warriors StormClan has, and I know how disappointed you were when you didn't get Kinkpaw or Ravenpaw."

"I don't need _you_ to remind me of that," Hawkfoot said, casting a dark glare his way. The tabby tom was oblivious to her hostility and continued to chatter away happily.

Tadpolepaw, who was sitting next to his mentor, watched the two interact with amusement. Beside him, Doepaw was speaking to Ravenpaw and Kinkpaw.

"You're gonna hate your apprentice confirmation," the black tomcat was telling her.

Doepaw looked uncertainly at him. "Is it really that bad?"

Kinkpaw's gaze was sympathetic. "During our confirmation, the rain soaked us to the bone. We had a slight cold afterward, but we got better. I remember when Ravenpaw jumped nearly every time lightning flashed," she added with a purr.

Hearing that, Quailkit felt sorry for his former denmates. The apprentice confirmation was when newly-appointed warrior apprentices stood out in a thunder storm to test their endurance. Those who last the longest are said to become great warriors someday. The StormClan confirmation was well-known for being the roughest of them all, and Doepaw and Tadpolepaw would go through it when the next storm hit, which, judging by the dark clouds swirling overhead, would be tonight. Quailkit and Cedarkit would also participate in the confirmation when they were made apprentices, something they most certainly did _not_ look forward to.

Doepaw must've heard them coming, because she turned to greet them just as they walked up to her and her brother. "Hey, guys," she mewed, a friendly gleam lighting her eyes.

Cedarkit bounced up to her, all traces of his earlier disappointment gone. "Congratulations, you two!"

Quailkit forced a smile through his downhearted mood. "You should be real proud, I know you'll make great warriors someday."

A light shade of pink dusted over Doepaw's cheeks and she blinked shyly. "T-Thanks, you guys."

Tadpolepaw puffed out his chest. "You don't have to tell us what we already know, Quailkit. We're going to ace that confirmation, just you watch!"

Hazelnose cast him a sharp look. "We'll just see about that. They say the pompous ones are always the first to yield in the presence of our clan's namesake." Tadpolepaw's shoulders slumped at his words and he looked down at his paws.

Creekfeather looked at the two newest apprentices and meowed, "Both of you should prepare yourselves mentally and physically for tonight's confirmation. In the meantime," he turned to Hawkfoot and Hazelnose. "You'll be taking them to see the borders, I presume?"

Both of them nodded. "We'll start with the ones they _haven't_ been to yet," Hazelnose replied, obviously referring to their infamous little excursion. He stood up and beckoned for the others to follow. "Come, we might as well get a head start if we want to be back before the storm hits."

The gray and white warrior trotted across the clearing, with Hawkfoot and the new apprentices in tow. Quailkit couldn't help but let out a sigh as he watched them go, his sullen mood taking over once more. Creekfeather caught this and touched his tail tip to his shoulder.

"It won't be long until you're an apprentice as well," he mewed sympathetically. When Quailkit didn't respond, he too let out a sigh.

Quailkit was grateful for his father's comfort, but he just wasn't in a good mood today. Creekfeather shifted uncomfortably, obviously trying to come up with something to break the awkward silence they'd fallen into. "Ah, good afternoon Finchspeck," he called to the StormClan medicine cat, who was padding by with a mouthful of leaves.

"Anf a goof affernoon fo you as fell, Creekfeafher," Finchspeck replied, his meow muffled by the leaves he was carrying. His eyes flitted down to Quailkit and Cedarkit. "Fhaf fif fhose fefressef loofs?"

Creekfeather seemed to stifle a purr at the tomcat's attempt to say, 'What's with those depressed looks'. "It would seem that these two are saddened that there will be three less cats in the nursery tonight."

Heated flooded Quailkit's pelt at those words. "I-I'm not sad!" he snapped indignantly. He didn't need others feeling sorry for him, especially _Finchspeck_. The cranky, sharp-tongued tom would probably poke fun at him, actually, rather than pity him. He glared up at the medicine cat, who'd raised a brow at him. "Who cares, really? Three less stupid furballs crowding the den, so what!"

Finchspeck eyed him thoughtfully for a moment, then set down the plants he'd been carrying. "You know," he meowed. "I could use some help with a few things. I would ask the apprentices, but Doepaw and Tadpolepaw just went out, and every time I give _those two_ ," He gave an annoyed flick of his tail toward Kinkpaw and Ravenpaw, who'd gone back to their training, "a task they always find a way to mess it up. It would seem that you're my only hope now, Quailkit, Cedarkit. I need some help with sorting my herb stock, can I count on you?"

Cedarkit jumped to his paws, eyes bright and eager. "Sure thing, Finchspeck. I'll do my best!"

Quailkit's heart swelled with affection for his little brother. Cedarkit was a kind-hearted kit who was always willing to help others in need, and he loved him for that. "I suppose I will, too," he agreed reluctantly. The medicine den wouldn't be too bad, he liked the sharp and interesting smells of the different herbs.

"That sounds good. Just make sure to behave yourselves, and don't get under Finchspeck paws," Creekfeather told them. Giving the medicine cat a grateful nod, he set off to join his mate at the fresh-kill pile.

"Right, then. It's over this way," Finchspeck said, picking up his leaves and beckoning for the kits to follow as he padded away. Cedarkit skipped after him and Quailkit, though hesitant, obliged.


	11. Chapter 9

"How's it going over there?"

Quailkit jumped at the sound of Finchspeck's voice. He'd been concentrating on his work so much he had tuned the medicine cat out at some point.

"Almost done with this one!" he called over his shoulder.

With that, Quailkit went back to digging in the cold earth. Finchspeck had said he dug holes in the ground to put herbs in to keep them fresh, and had put him on digging duty. Quailkit had been helping him out for a while now, and it was getting harder and harder to dig with each hole. He chalked it up to the upcoming leaf-bare. It was colder and colder each day, and some Clan members have predicted that they'd see the first snowfall of the season soon.

Quailkit gritted his teeth as he continued to dig. This hole had better be deep enough, he could feel his paws starting to go numb from the cold. He pulled back to check over his work. Satisfied, he then turned to the small piles of herbs he'd set to the side.

 _Did Finchspeck say he wanted the goldenrod or the marigold in this one? I keep getting those two mixed up. Well, I guess it doesn't really matter._

With a small shrug he picked up the bright yellow marigold flowers and dropped them into the hole, then covered it with a few fern fronds.

"Looks good," Finchspeck said from behind Quailkit, startling him once again.

Quailkit whipped his head around, giving the StormClan medicine cat a fierce glare. " _Geez_ , can't you ever _announce_ yourself instead of scaring cats out of their pelts?!"

Finchspeck raised a brow at him. "I thought you wanted to be a warrior. Warriors are supposed to be aware of when they're being sneaked up on."

Quailkit hung his head and spat curses at him under his breath. Finchspeck ignored him, instead checking over his work once more before meowing, "I'll take care of the rest, you're done for the day. You can go now."

 _Sweet!_ Not bothering to respond, Quailkit happily jumped to his paws made for the den entrance. With little effort he squeezed through the crack in the hollowed out boulder that served as StormClan's medicine den. Once he was out in the clearing he shook out his pelt, shaking free the bits of herbs that had stuck to his fur.

"Quailkit!"

Turning at the sound of his name, Quailkit saw his brother bouncing up to him. Glee lit up Cedarkit's eyes as he approached his littermate. "Are you done for today?"

"Yep." It had been a while since Quailkit had started helping Finchspeck out. It had started a few little favors here and there, but soon he had found himself spending more time in the medicine den than in the nursery. For him, it had just been a way to kill his boredom, but his father apparently found it to be a valuable learning experience. Quailkit couldn't help but smile at the first time Finchspeck had suggested that the two of them help him with a chore. Poor Cedarkit had stumbled around in the medicine den so much he ended up crushing many of Finchspeck's juniper berry and poppy seed stock under his clumsy paws. From that point on Finchspeck had banned him from the medicine den unless he was sick or injured. Cedarkit had felt so bad for what he'd done, but Creekfeather had told him not to worry about it and said he could make it up to Finchspeck by staying out of his way.

"Doepaw and Tadpolepaw should be coming back from their hunting lesson soon," Cedarkit said, interrupting his brother's train of thought. "Wanna go meet them? Maybe they caught something good!"

Quailkit nodded. "Yeah!"

The two brothers set off for the camp entrance, passing by Quickbreeze, who was heading toward the fresh-kill pile. "You two better not be trying to sneak off again, ya hear?" he said with a teasing tone.

"Let it go, already!" Quailkit said, glaring at the young warrior. "That was ages ago, and we're just going to meet Doepaw and the others when they get back!"

"You know what they say, there are some things you can never live down!" Quickbreeze called after them as they padded away.

"Hopefully not," Quailkit muttered. With the entrance to the camp in sight, he could spot four figures coming into view. The brambles that made up the entrance barrier quivered as Hazelnose squeezed through, a small rabbit hanging from his jaws. Hawkfoot and Tadpolepaw fallowed his lead, each carrying two field mice, and Doepaw brought up the rear as she limped into camp. She was unsteadily walking on three legs as she held up her right forepaw, as it had a bright red gash spreading across it. Seeing this, Quailkit and Cedarkit immediately rushed up to her.

"Doepaw, you're hurt! What happened? Are you okay?" Quailkit asked, concern pricking at him like thorns. A flurry of questions, but he held his tongue and waited for the she-cat to respond.

Doepaw sat down and smiled at him, still holding up her injured paw. "It's alright, you guys. I'm fine."

"You don't look fine." Worry edged Cedarkit's mew as his sniffed at her wound.

Doepaw looked down at her paw. "Oh, this? It's nothing, really. You can blame that guy over there," she said, nodding at the rabbit Hazelnose had brought in, now being laid out on the fresh-kill pile. "The little bugger nicked me when I pinned 'em down earlier."

"You caught that rabbit all by yourself?" Cedarkit asked with wide eyes.

"Well, I pinned him down-"

"And I had to step in when he got the best of her," Tadpolepaw interrupted, a cheeky grin adorning his features. "Guess that old rabbit was too much for my baby sis to handle."

"I was just getting to that part, _Tad_ ," Doepaw said bitterly, rolling her eyes at her brother. "And no, it was not too much for me to handle! It just… it just caught me off-guard, that's all! We've only had a few hunting lessons since our confirmation, so give me a break here."

Tadpolepaw's grin grew wider. "Whatever you say, sis."

"Says the tomcat who, during his apprentice confirmation, ran for the nursery when he saw lightening flash screaming, 'StarClan save me!'" Doepaw snapped at him, making Tadpolepaw flinch.

Quailkit smirked, remembering that stormy night when the newly-made apprentice came rushing into the nursery and burrowed into his family's old nest. Stormflower had been so angry for having been woken up; she threw the poor tomcat back out into the storm, spitting venom at him all the while.

"A-Anyway," Tadpolepaw stuttered, trying to change to subject. "You ought to go get that cut treated, don't ya think?"

Quailkit turned back to Doepaw. "I can take you."

Doepaw smiled at him. "Thanks."

While Tadpolepaw bragged to Cedarkit about the mouse he'd caught, Quailkit let Doepaw lean on him as he walked her over to the medicine den. When they got there he stuck his head in the entrance and called out for Finchspeck. When the medicine cat didn't respond, Quailkit shrugged and figured he must've stepped out to take care of something. The two of them squeezed through the entrance and Quailkit helped the injured apprentice over to an empty nest. Quailkit then padded to the back of the den, searching for the things he needed to treat Doepaw's wound.

"Uh… do you know what you're doing?" Doepaw asked uncertainly as Quailkit rummaged through Finchspeck's herb stores.

Quailkit didn't respond, instead he padded back over to Doepaw's nest, a rolled up leaf in his jaws. He set the leaf down and rolled it out flat on the ground, revealing the sticky salve that covered it on one side. He gestured for Doepaw to reach out with her injured paw. Hesitantly, Doepaw did so and Quailkit wrapped the leaf around her paw. It stung at first, making her flinch, but the pain quickly faded to be replaced by a soothing feeling. Surprised, Doepaw drew her paw back and examined it.

"Wow, what is this stuff?" she asked giving it a sniff.

Quailkit shrugged. "I dunno, but it's great for cuts."

"How did you know?"

"Yesterday Ravenpaw was practicing a new move he learned and somehow managed to toss himself into the bramble barrier."

At that Doepaw burst out laughing. "S-Seriously? How'd that happen?" she said in a fit of giggles. "You know what, it's Ravenpaw. I shouldn't question it."

Quailkit smirked. "Yeah, only he could screw up like that. Anyway, he came stumbling in here while I was helping Finchspeck sort out some herbs, covered in thorn scratches. Finchspeck whipped up this salve and used it for treatment. We're lucky there was some leftover."

"That's pretty neat how you remembered that," Doepaw told him. "You planning on becoming Finchspeck's apprentice?"

"No way!" Quailkit shook his head so hard, for a moment Doepaw thought it would fall off. "I'm only helping him out, and he's still manages to get on every one of my nerves. I couldn't even imagine being his apprentice! Besides, I want to be a _warrior_!"

Doepaw giggled. "Okay, okay, I get it. But still, it's not too bad being in here is it?"

Quailkit looked around the medicine den, considering her words. Was it really that bad? He knew that there were many in the Clan who didn't like coming in here because they found it to be dark and dreary, but he actually found it quite cozy. There was only one opening, so there was less cold coming into the den, and the light that flitted through the entrance seemed to just the right amount; not too much and not too little. Plus there were all the interesting and tangy smells of the herbs that helped to clear his sinuses on a bad day. It was actually really nice. "No. I guess not…"

At that moment a strong voice could be heard from outside.

"Let all those old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Thunder-rock for a Clan meeting!"

Both Quailkit and Doepaw swiveled their heads toward the den entrance, ears perked with interest.

 _A Clan meeting! But… I can't just leave Doepaw here alone…_

Suddenly Stormflower's silvery tabby face poked through entrance, looking irritated and out of breath. "Finchspeck, have you seen-" Her eyes lit up when she spotted her son. " _There_ you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

Quailkit blinked in confusion. "What do mean? Is something going on?"

Stormflower squeezed into the den and hastily made padded over to him to give his pelt an inspection. "Yes, something happening! You and Cedarkit are going to be made apprentices!"

"W-What?" Quailkit stuttered, staring at her in shock. "Now?"

"Yes, now!" Stormflower snapped. "And just look at you, you look like you've been rolling around in Finchspeck's stores!"

Quailkit knew she must've been referring to the bits of leaves that had clung to his fur despite him trying to shake them off. Not giving him a chance to respond, Stormflower.

"Ugh, there's no time! Come on, we're going to be late!" With that she tugged him by the scruff out of the den and over to where Creekfeather and Cedarkit were waiting. Creekfeather looked like he was about to burst from pride. Cedarkit's pelt look recently-groomed, but he was so nervous he looked as if he might get sick. They weren't the only ones in the clearing.

Doepaw had followed them outside and was watching with excitement from the medicine den entrance. Tadpolepaw was sitting with his mother, Morningcloud, while the other two apprentices, Kinkpaw and Ravenpaw, were sitting together not too far away. Their mentors, Clearwater, and Starlingflight, padded over to join them, exchanging a knowing look. The elders emerged from their den, the irritated look on Graywolf's face indicating he'd just woken up, while the rest of the warriors gathered in the clearing. Breezetail padded from her den, closely followed by her kits. The tabby queen had long given trying to keep them from attending meetings, as the four kits had proven to be too much to handle at times.

It seemed like every cat in the Clan was in attendance, and while the thought did make him nervous, Quailkit couldn't shake the feeling that there was someone missing. Looking, he couldn't spot the familiar gray and ginger pelt of Finchspeck. That was strange; he was definitely here earlier, but now it's like he disappeared into thin air! Didn't the medicine cat care enough to attend Quailkit's apprentice ceremony?

 _Stupid fleabag, I thought we bonded… sort of…_

"My clanmates, I'm sure you all are aware of the hardship leaf-bare brings each year," Troutstar began. "Soon snow will be on the ground, and many of the good prey will retreat into their burrows to endure to cold. With prey scarce, the other Clans will soon grow hungry, but we will stand tall and protect what we have from those who would dare try to steal it!"

At this, murmurs of approval spread through the crowd.

Troutstar continued, "To do this, however, we will need good hunters and strong warriors to defend our territory. That is why, today, we will be celebrating new warriors and apprentices!"

Quailkit furrowed his brows. He and Cedarkit were definitely the apprentices he was talking about, but warriors? Wait, did he mean-

"Kinkpaw, Ravenpaw, come forth."

Gasps and murmurs of astonishment could be heard through the crowd of gathered cats. The two had been apprentices for a while now, so it was expected that they would get their warrior names, but this was pretty short notice.

Kinkpaw nudged her mentor's shoulder. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"We wanted it to be a surprise," Clearwater said, eyes gleaming. "Now go on, he's waiting."

They didn't have to be told twice; Kinkpaw and Ravenpaw strut forward up to the Clan leader, who'd jumped down from Thunder-rock to face them.

"Kinkpaw," Troutstar said, addressing the orange she-cat. "Do you swear your life to StormClan, to protect and preserve its honor, through sickness and in health?"

"I do," Kinkpaw responded, standing tall and proud.

"Then from this point on, you are no longer Kinkpaw. You are Kinktail!" The newly named warrior bowed her head so that Troutstar may rest his muzzle on it. She then stepped aside to let Ravenpaw walk up.

"Ravenpaw," Troutstar began again. "Do you swear your life to StormClan, to protect and preserve its honor, through sickness and in health?"

Ravenpaw inhaled sharply. "Yes, sir- I mean, I do."

A slight smile spread across Troutstar's features. "Then from this day forward, you shall cast aside your apprentice name. You are now the warrior, Ravenclaw!" Just like with Kinktail, Troutstar pressed his muzzle to the new warrior's head, then stepped back.

The yowls of their clanmates filled the air, "Kinktail! Ravenclaw!"

Kinktail and Ravenclaw stood side by side, their eyes shining. As the proud yowls soon died down, Troutstar climbed back onto the Thunder-rock.

"While we all should be proud of our newest warriors, they are not the only ones who will be celebrated here today," Troutstar said, regaining everyone attention.

 _This is it!_ Quailkit sat up so straight he thought he was going to tip over.

Troutstar's gaze swept over the Clan, until he reached the soon-to-be-made apprentices. He gaze a little smirk at the nervous gazes they returned. "Quailkit and Cedarkit, come forward."

Quailkit swallowed. "That's us," he whispered to Cedarkit. On unsteady legs the two of them padded forward, well aware of all the eyes of the Clan that followed them.

"Willowfur," Troutstar continued. "I know you've been eager for an apprentice since Honeywhisker became a warrior. I believe you'll be a fine mentor for Cedarpaw."

"You bet!" Willowfur happily trotted up to Cedarpaw, who was trembling slightly. He bent down to touch noses with the new apprentice and gave him a reassuring wink. "Don't worry, I'm a fun mentor. Just ask Honeywhisker."

This seemed to calm Cedarpaw down a bit, and he gave Willowfur a little smile in return.

Quailkit was happy for his brother. Willowfur was a charismatic cat, and was generally well-liked by others, even by cats of other clans. Cedarpaw should have no problems with a mentor like him.

 _But now it's my turn._

"Quailkit," Troutstar continued. "I already have a choice in mind for your mentor, but given that you've been spending a lot of time in the medicine den with Finchspeck recently, do you perhaps…?"

Quailkit quickly shook his head.

"Alright, then. I believe I have the perfect cat in mind for your mentor." Troutstar's gaze flitted to the side of the clearing. "Loudstorm, you are a fine warrior. I trust that you will pass on your skills and knowledge to Quailpaw."

 _Loudstorm!_

Quailpaw turned just in time to see the crowd part, revealing his new mentor. Muscles rippled under the tomcat's sleek gray coat as he made his way towards him. He held his head high, and his blue eyes gleamed in the afternoon light. Quailpaw swallowed nervously when he halted in front on him. The gray warrior towered over him, and Quailpaw was hidden in his shadow.

 _He's huge! No wonder they call him the biggest cat in StormClan!_

It soon became apparent that Loudstorm had leaned forward, and was staring down at him expectantly.

 _What's he waiting for- Oh!_

Quailpaw reached up and tapped his nose against Loudstorm's, bringing a warm smile to the tomcat's face.

"I'll make you the best warrior you can be," he said, a deep purr rumbling in his throat.

Quailpaw almost couldn't hear him; the sounds of his clanmates greeting him by his new name rang in his ears.

"Quailpaw!"

"Cedarpaw!"

 _I'm an apprentice now! I'm Quailpaw!_


	12. Chapter 10

"Quailpaw! Cedarpaw!"

Quailpaw couldn't stop the excited shiver that ran up his spine as the Clan continued chanting his and Cedarpaw's names. At last, he was an apprentice! Now he could finally start contributing to the Clan. Looking around, Finchspeck was still nowhere to be found. Quailpaw ignored the pang of disappointment he felt and turned to the cats around him.

Cedarpaw pressed to side, purring happily. "I can't believe it! We're apprentices!"

As if his words had beckoned them, a bunch of cats came dashing over to offer their commendations. It was a little overwhelming for the both of them, but Quailpaw refused to show it.

Badgerkit lashed his tail from side to side. "I can't believe you guys are apprentices, it's not fair! I'm almost as big as you, I should be one too!"

Sunnykit stuck her nose in the air. "We'll be catching up to you soon enough!"

Quailpaw rolled his eyes at the two. Just because they were Troutstar's kits, they thought they could rule the world. _Arrogant little pests._

Emeraldkit skipped around the new apprentices. "I can't believe you guys are leaving the nursery already! We won't get to see you anymore."

"The apprentices' den is just across the clearing," Cedarpaw reassured him gently. "We'll see each other every day."

Emeraldkit pouted. "But it won't be the same!"

Not the most talkative cat, Dewkit just watched the interaction quietly.

Doepaw limped over from the medicine with a big smile on her face. "Congratulations!"

Quailpaw purred his thanks, and looked around for his parents.

Creekfeather had been talking with Stormflower momentarily but, catching Quailpaw's eye, dropped the conversation and hurried over to his sons, purring loudly. "I'm so proud of both of you!" He glanced back at Stormflower out of the corner of his eye. "Your mother is too."

Right on cue Stormflower padded over to join them. "You did well."

Cedarpaw's eyes glittered at his mother's praise. "We're going work hard to be the best warriors in StormClan!"

Stormflower flicked her ears. "I expect nothing less."

 _Of course you do._ Quailpaw bit his tongue to keep from speaking aloud. The last thing he wanted was to get on his mother's bad side when it was such an important day for him.

Loudstorm, who'd been in conversation with Willowfur, turned to the newest apprentices. "I bet you two are eager to see StormClan territory," he meowed.

Quailpaw whipped his head around and stared at the older cat with wide eyes. "You mean, we're going to see the borders?"

"Of course, the sooner you get to know your own territory, the better." With a flick of his tail, Loudstorm trotted away with Willowfur toward the camp entrance.

Quailpaw and Cedarpaw exchanged an excited glance, before racing after them. They skidded to a halt at the entrance to the camp and watched as their mentors slipped through the bramble barrier. Cedarpaw squeezed through first, and Quailpaw followed suit.

Anticipation made his heart race as he pushed his way through. It had been so long since he had last seen what lay beyond the thorny walls of the camp, and today he'd finally see it again. The moment he stepped onto the moor he was hit with a strong gust of wind. This time, however, he didn't have to dig his claws into the earth to stay grounded. Opening his eyes wide, he was met with the familiar sight of the vast, windswept grasslands of the moor. Complete with gray clouds swirling on the horizon, it was the same as Quailpaw had remembered. He couldn't help but smile; it was like meeting an old friend again after being apart for so long.

"Look!" Loudstorm's mew shook him from his thoughts. The gray warrior had his muzzle pointed the far side of the moor. A large bird could be circling overhead in the distance.

 _Hawk!_ Quailpaw turned cold at the sight of the avian predator. Memories of almost being carried off by one of those birds of prey came flooding back to him.

"Don't worry," Loudstorm reassured. "As long as we keep low in the tall grass, it won't spot us."

Willowfur had already started trekking across the moor toward a familiar line of trees, with Cedarpaw close behind. Quailpaw went to catch up, but Loudstorm stepped in front of him. "We're not going with them to the LightClan border," he explained. "I thought I'd take you to see the border we share with PineClan instead."

"Oh." Quailpaw felt his tail droop a little. He'd hoped he and Cedarpaw could explore the territories _together_.

"What's the matter?" Laughter edged Loudstorm's mew as he started toward the other side of the moor. "I just thought you might want to start with the borders you _haven't_ seen yet."

"Hey!" Quailpaw flared with indignation as he ran to catch up, but soon gave way to a defeated sigh. _Quickbreeze was right. I'm never gonna live that down, am I?_

As he trotted after Loudstorm, he breathed in the cold air and fresh scents of the moor. He could smell prey- not the dead scent fresh-kill gave off- but something _far_ more enticing, laced with a tang of life that Quailpaw found mouthwatering. He could smell rabbits and mice like the catch that had been brought in earlier. There was also a hint birds and other rodents that he couldn't put names to, and he was eager to find out what they were.

Reaching the top of a steep slope, something in the distance caught Quailpaw's eye. Narrowing his eyes into amber slits, he could make out a clearing with a large figure standing tall in the middle, rising high above the line of forest trees and topped by what looked like a cluster of dark clouds. "Hey, Loudstorm, what's that?" he asked, pointing a paw at the figure.

"Hm?" Loudstorm padded over to stand at his side. "Oh, you mean the Star Tree."

"What?!" Quailpaw exclaimed. "That thing's a tree?!"

Loudstorm nodded. "Yes. You know what the Star Tree is, correct?" At Quailpaw's stunned nod he turned to gaze fondly at the towering tree. "It's the largest tree in the valley. They say its run through all the Clans' territories. Though we are separate, it's what connects us all. That's why it was named for StarClan, the Clan of our ancestors. It's also where the Clans gather at full moon."

 _The Star Tree, I'd heard it was big, but…_ Quailpaw remembered when he and Cedarpaw were younger, when they'd beg their parents to take them to the Gathering each full moon. Every time they'd been denied, but Creekfeather had always promised to fill them in on what happened, and every time he'd kept his promise.

 _I'll get to go to Gatherings too, now that I'm old enough. Creekfeather, Cedarpaw, and I will be able to go together soon enough._

The thought made him smile, and after a moment he and Loudstorm continued on their way again. The traveled down the hill and soon came to a rushing river.

"Is this the same river from the LightClan border?" Quailpaw asked.

"Yes, it marks our borders with both LightClan and PineClan," Loudstorm explained. "It runs through all our territories and serves as our main source of water. LightClan even lets FireClan collect water from it when the streams in their part of the forest dry up."

Quailpaw crinkled his nose. "LightClan just lets them cross their borders so easily?"

"Well, they've always been on better terms with FireClan than the other Clans. I guess you could say it's a bit like our relationship with PineClan, but not quite."

 _Speaking of which…_ "Are we close to the PineClan border yet?"

"Almost, we just have to follow the river north." Loudstorm led the way alongside the river until a line of dark trees came into sight. They were different from the ones at the LightClan border; they were taller and tapered into sharp points at the top, and were covered in needles all over. Quailpaw recognized as pine trees, as they gave off the same smell his father had carried when he'd returned from a border patrol. The river ran right past the tree line, and he could spot two figures at the riverbank on the other side. They were cats.

The smaller of the two spotted Quailpaw and Loudstorm as they got closer, and jumped to his paws in alarm. His dark tabby pelt bristled, and he glared at them with blazing green eyes.

"Who are you?" he hissed. "What are you doing here?"

Quailpaw bristled defensively, and was about to retaliate when Loudstorm put a paw on his shoulder. He gave him a reassuring nod and stepped forward.

"We're not seeking conflict," he said calmly, unfazed by the young cat's aggressive tone. "I'm a StormClan warrior showing my new apprentice the territory borders."

The tabby obviously didn't believe him. "Yeah, and how do we know that? You could just be saying that so you could scout out our territory for an invasion!"

"That's enough, Hawkpaw." The second stranger, who'd been crouched over quietly drinking from the river, had spoken up and risen to his full height. The tomcat's velvety mew had a strong, noble quality to it, and his stunning white coat shined brightly in the light. "There's no need to hold these cats under suspicion."

"But how do we know they're not rogues pretending to be Clan cats?" The one called Hawkpaw questioned, tail lashing.

"Well, maybe if you _paid attention_ and _used your head for once_ ," The white tomcat snapped, making the younger flinch. "You'd realize that they carry StormClan's scent. Besides," He turned his gaze on the StormClan cats, cool blue eyes growing warm. "I know this cat. It's good to see you, Loudstorm."

Loudstorm nodded in return. "Likewise, Snowstar."

Quailpaw furrowed his brows. _They know each other? Well, StormClan and PineClan do share a close relationship, so I guess- wait, did he say 'Snow_ _ **star**_ _'?! That means-_

"I'd like to introduce you to my new apprentice, Quailpaw," Loudstorm continued. "Quailpaw, this is the leader of PineClan, Snowstar."

 _PineClan's leader!_ Speechless, Quailpaw bowed his head respectfully.

"You'll have to forgive my apprentice, Loudstorm," Snowstar meowed, swatting the young tabby's ear with his tail tip. "He's quick to use his claws instead of his brain when it comes to other cats."

Hawkpaw's only response was an annoyed huff.

Loudstorm raised a brow at him. "Oh yes, you mentioned him at the last Gathering. I shouldn't be surprised, I suppose. New apprentices are known for being overconfident, and it only gets worse when they're made warriors, then they think they're on top of the world."

"Indeed," Snowstar purred, and the two of them shared a little laugh.

Quailpaw, meanwhile, felt so awkward and out of place. This whole 'meeting another Clan leader' thing came out of the blue and was completely unexpected. He'd heard stories about the PineClan leader from his father and he'd thought the first time he would see him was at a Gathering or something, not now on his first day as an apprentice! And why was Loudstorm acting so… familiarly with him?

Snowstar seemed to catch on to his confusion. "Loudstorm and I used to rivals back in the day," he explained. "When we were apprentices, every time we'd meet we'd always try to one-up each other."

"I wouldn't really say 'rivals'," Loudstorm said, looking away in embarrassment. "You were always one step ahead me."

Snowstar beamed. "Nonsense! You were way more skilled a hunting than I was. I remember you always had the biggest catches of any apprentice in StormClan, while I only brought in a measly squirrel or two."

 _Loudstorm was praised by a Clan leader!_ Quailpaw looked up at the gray warrior, a swell of admiration rising in him. _He must've been something. I can't wait 'til we start proper training._

"Well, I'll let you get back to what you were doing," Snowstar went on. "I promised to teach Hawkpaw a new move for combat, anyway. I hope you have better luck with this one, Loudstorm." With that, Snowstar padded back among the dark trees of the pine forest, Hawkpaw casting a fierce glare at the StormClan cats before following his leader.

 _This one?_ The way Snowstar said that sparked curiosity in Quailpaw, but for now he would hold his tongue and wait 'til later to ask.

As soon as the two PineClan cats were out of sight, Loudstorm turned back to Quailpaw. "While we're here, make sure to remember this scent. Remembering it will help you distinguish each Clan by smell."

"Right." Quailpaw inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent the PineClan cats left behind. It was the scent of cats, but was a bit tangy and harsh compared to the warm familiarity of StormClan, and it was laced with the sharp smell of pine. Making sure to burn it into his memory, he turned back toward the moor.

"Where to next?"

:

* * *

:

"Loudstorm, can I ask you something?" Quailpaw asked. He and his mentor were currently making their way across the moor over to the LightClan border. Even though Quailpaw had been there before, Loudstorm found the visit necessary for him to refresh his memory.

"Sure," Loudstorm said, looking back over his shoulder at him.

Quailpaw was hesitant, making sure to choose his words carefully. It could be a sensitive subject for him, after all. "Back at the border with PineClan, why did Snowstar wish you 'better luck' with me?"

Loudstorm stumbled a bit at the question, but quickly regained his steady stride. "Oh, that. Well, he was probably referring to the last apprentice I had."

"Who was?"

"Your current medicine cat."

"…What?!"

Quailpaw felt like he was hit by a boulder. Was Loudstorm being serious right now?

"Before he was a medicine cat, Finchspeck had been training to be a warrior," Loudstorm explained, his mew growing soft. "He was my first apprentice, and I was so proud the day Petalstar chose me as his mentor. But around that time our medicine cat, Spidereye, grew very ill. He'd grown old and many feared that StormClan would soon be left without a medicine cat. Finchspeck saw this and asked to switch from warrior training to medicine cat training so he could take Spidereye's place. I know how much he'd wanted to be a warrior, so it must've been a hard decision to make…"

Looking up at him as he trailed off, Quailpaw could see the warrior's eyes grow misty. He felt a pang of sympathy for him. Loudstorm had probably known that Finchspeck had made the right decision for the good of the Clan, but he was probably still crushed that he wouldn't get to see his first apprentice be made a warrior.

Quailpaw quickened his pace to match Loudstorm's, and nudged his shoulder playfully with his muzzle. "Hey, don't go getting depressed on me now!"

Loudstorm blinked in confusion.

"You said you'd make me the best warrior I could be, remember?" Quailpaw reminded him, a reassuring glint lighting his eye.

For a moment Loudstorm just stared at him, then he let out a chuckle. "Right. I'll be sure to make good on my promise."

Quailpaw smirked. "You better!"

The two of them continued to follow the river through the moor and into the forest that marked their border with LightClan. Soon the Huntingrocks came into view, and Quailpaw could spot a few colored pelts lounging about on the rocks. A growl rose in his throat, remembering how Troutstar had agreed to surrender the rocks to LightClan during leaf-bare. He knew the StormClan leader had done it to prevent more bloodshed between the two Clans, but Quailpaw just couldn't stand the thought that they had actually _surrendered_ something to those flea-ridden otters.

Warm breath brushed his ear. "Calm yourself," Loudstorm whispered, careful not to alert the LightClan cats to their presence. "We're just here so you can memorized LightClan's scent."

 _How could I ever forget it?_ Quailpaw thought with disgust. Their icky, fishy stench clogged up his nose and seared into his brain. He'd have to stop by the medicine den later to clear his sinuses. He turned to leave, but he caught slight movement out of the corner of his eye. Taking a closer look, he could make out a familiar gray and ginger-dappled pelt slinking along their side of the river, watching the LightClan closely while trying his best not to be seen.

 _Finchspeck!_

Quailpaw stared at the medicine cat, dumbfounded. Finchspeck had been missing since this afternoon, and _this_ was where he'd been? That flea bag had missed his apprentice ceremony so that he could go spy on LightClan cats?! Quailpaw was unable to quell growing anger and pure rage that was rising within. Before he even knew what he was doing, he charged down to the riverbank at full speed, ignoring Loudstorm's attempts to stop him.

"Finchspeck!"

At the sound of his name, the StormClan medicine cat whipped his head around, staring in shock at Quailpaw, who skidded to a halt in front of him. "Quailkit? What in tarnation are you doing-"

"It's Quail _paw_ now, actually," Quailpaw spat at him, earning another stunned look. "But you wouldn't know that, would you?"

"Quailpaw! What did I just-" Loudstorm came rushing after him, but cut himself off when he saw the medicine cat. "Finchspeck? What are you doing here?"

Quailpaw didn't give him a chance to respond, instead continuing to spit more venom. "And here I was, starting to think you were actually _noble_ , but _no_ , you couldn't even be bothered to show up for one of the most important ceremonies of my life!"

Finchspeck look confused for a moment, then glared defensively at him. "Now look here, I was just-"

"What's going on here?"

The three StormClan cats turned to see the group of LightClan cats that had been on the rocks padding up to them, having been caught wind of their squabble. Finchspeck growled, annoyed with having been interrupted for a second time. Quailpaw knew that further confrontation would only incite the medicine cat's temper more, but right now he couldn't care less.

The group of LightClan cats was made up of two toms and a she-cat. The first tom, a golden tabby, stepped forward and eyed the StormClan cats with suspicion. "What are you doing on our side of the river?"

Quailpaw bared his teeth at them, ready to retort, but Loudstorm was quick to step in front of him to keep him from responding, just like before. "We're not here to cause trouble," he tried to explain, but the LightClan cats clearly weren't buying it.

"Yeah, and pigs fly," the tabby snapped. "I won't repeat myself again, _what are you doing on our side of the river_?"

The second tom, this one a bright ginger color, spoke up. "Isn't it obvious, Yellowfish? They're here to spy," he sneered. "Probably trying to take back the Huntingrocks, though it's a futile gesture."

Quailpaw stepped around Loudstorm and hissed at them. "We're not here to spy! Well… maybe he is," he said, glaring accusingly at Finchspeck. Finchspeck returned it with a steady glare of his own.

"Oh?" Yellowfish's ears perked with mock interest. "Is that it? Did you send your medicine cat here to spy on us so we wouldn't suspect anything?"

Finchspeck turned to face him, blazing gold eyes searing into flinching green. "I was not _spying_ ," he said, his voice dangerously low. "I was searching for any remaining watermint that might've been growing on the riverbank. If there was any left, I wanted to collect it before the first snowfall."

The she-cat, who had a fluffy silver coat, pushed passed the unnerved Yellowfish and faced Finchspeck, showing no signs of intimidation. "This side of the river belongs to LightClan now. That means any watermint found here is under the ownership of our medicine cat, Dreamchaser. Since you've obviously have no watermint in your possession at this time, we'll let you go with a warning. Is that clear?"

Finchspeck didn't say anything, just met the she-cat's steady gaze with his own.

The she-cat turned away. "Sundance, Yellowfish, we're going." With a flick of her tail, she padded back toward the Huntingrocks.

"Whatever you say, Featherswish," The one called Sundance said with a shrug before following his clanmate.

Loudstorm watched them go, then turned to Quailpaw. "We'll talk about this when we get back to camp," he meowed sternly.

The three of them said nothing more to each other on their way back to the StormClan camp, and Quailpaw wouldn't even look at Finchspeck. As dark clouds gathered overhead, he could feel the gloomy feeling they gave off seeping deep into his heart. While Cedarpaw had probably gone out and had the time of his life today, here he was having experienced possibly the worst first day as an apprentice any Clan cat ever had go through.


	13. Chapter 11

Anger was coming of him in waves as Quailpaw and the two older StormClan cats trudged across the moor back to camp. Quailpaw made sure to stay at Loudstorm's side and in front of Finchspeck; he didn't even want to _look_ at the medicine cat right now.

As the entrance to the camp came into view, he broke into a run and raced ahead. He ducked into the bramble barrier and shoved his way through, stray thorns getting tangled in his long fur. Doepaw was waiting on the other side when he trotted into camp, but he ignored her and walked past her, not noticing the way her face fell when he did. He instead spotted Creekfeather and Cedarpaw sitting together by the fresh-kill pile, and went to make his way over to them.

"Quailpaw!"

Loudstorm's firm mew made him stop in his tracks. Biting his lip, he turned around slowly to face his mentor. The large tomcat was looking down at him with a stern glare. Behind him, Finchspeck slid through brambles and, not bothering to spare Quailpaw a glance, padded across the clearing toward his den.

"Quailpaw, I was very disappointed in you today," Loudstorm said, eyes narrowing. "You disobeyed be when we went to the LightClan border, and in doing so you caused an altercation that could've lead to violence."

Quailpaw's brows furrowed. "But-"

Loudstorm put a paw up to stop him. "I know it wasn't your intention, but that's what happened. I'm your mentor, so when I tell you something, you must put your trust in me. If you can't do that, then I can't be your teacher."

Tail drooping, Quailpaw hung his head.

"You've been spending more time with Finchspeck lately," Loudstorm mewed, his gaze softening. "I'm sure you were hurt when he wasn't there to congratulate you on your apprenticeship, so I'll let this slide for now. How about if you perform well during your confirmation, I'll take you hunting tomorrow?"

 _The confirmation!_ Cold dread gripped Quailpaw's heart like thorns. With everything that happened today, he'd completely forgotten! How was he supposed to endure a storm's fury when he felt all this vexation and disappointment weighing on him? His belly began to churn uncomfortably. _What if I mess up? What if I end up making a fool of myself? It'll be just another thing I'll never live down!_

Loudstorm gave him a sympathetic nudge. "Why don't you get something to eat?" he suggested. "I'm sure you haven't had anything since this morning, and you'll need plenty of stamina for tonight." That said, he headed over toward the medicine den, possibly to question Finchspeck on his actions earlier.

Quailpaw sighed, feeling his paws ache from walking, and when his belly rumbled he decided to follow Loudstorm's advice. He padded over to join his brother and father at the fresh-kill pile for dinner. Cedarpaw's eyes lit up and Creekfeather looked up from the rabbit he was eating as he approached them.

"You're back!" Cedarpaw said, purring. "You guys were taking so long, I thought you wouldn't be back by sundown."

"Me too," Quailpaw grumbled, taking the spot beside him.

Creekfeather raised a brow at this. "Something the matter?" Quailpaw's mumbled response was so low it sounded more like he was growling. "Speak up, son. I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong."

Quailpaw let out a sigh of exasperation. "Ugh, okay!" he snapped. "I didn't exactly have the best day ever today! There, _are you happy?"_

Cedarpaw and Creekfeather were wearing identical expressions of shock, taken aback at his harsh tone.

"What happened?" Cedarpaw asked carefully.

" _Well_ , to begin with, _first_ that mangy excuse for a medicine cat Finchspeck didn't even show up to our apprentice ceremony, even though I've been constantly helping him out with _every little chore_ for the past few weeks. But you know, he's a medicine cat, so certainly he must have a _very important_ _reason_ for missing _one of the biggest days of my life_. And then, when Loudstorm was showing be the borders, some PineClan apprentice decides to cop an attitude with us even though we'd never even met before. Oh, _then_ when we went to see the LightClan border, we found Finchspeck there, spying on a bunch of LightClan cats! Oh, I mean _herb gathering,_ or whatever nonsense he claimed to be doing. Can you believe that? He missed my apprentice ceremony to go _herb gathering!_ Who goes herb gathering when we're on the verge of leaf-bare, anyway? Ooh, and you know what the best part is? We have to take part in the apprentice confirmation later, and I'm so tired and weak from hunger that I don't think I can last a minute in that upcoming storm!"

When he finished his tirade, Quailpaw felt so out of breath, and his chest heaved, desperate for air. While Cedarpaw had watched his brother go on with fearful eyes, Creekfeather had listened to the whole thing silently, taking it in with an unclear expression.

Hesitantly, Cedarpaw reached over and put a paw his brother's shoulder. "I... I know you had a bad day today, but I'm sure it won't be all bad. You'll ace that confirmation, no problem."

Quailpaw turned on him. "Don't _patronize_ me!"

Cedarpaw backed away, eyes round with hurt. Seeing this, Quailpaw instantly felt guilty.

"I-I'm sorry," he apologized. "You didn't deserve that, you were just trying to cheer me up. It's _me_ I should be upset with, I'm just..."

Creekfeather draped his tail over his son's shoulders comfortingly. "What is it?"

Quailpaw hesitated. "It's just... why do I always manage to find new ways to get into trouble? First I almost get carried away by a hawk, then I sneak out and try to get involved in a battle, and now I almost caused a fight between us and those LightClan cats. It's like I'm a magnet for bad luck!"

"Well, when you put it that way, it does seem like trouble is naturally attracted to you," Creekfeather said teasingly, making Quailpaw roll his eyes.

Cedarpaw brushed against his side. "Hey, don't think about it," he mewed. "For now, how 'bout we just rest and relax? That should take your mind off things until our confirmation."

Quailpaw blinked gratefully at him; he was so lucky to have such a sweet and caring cat as a brother. Creekfeather, too. Nobody could ask for a better father than him.

Speaking of which, the StormClan deputy had torn off a chunk of his rabbit and set it in front of Quailpaw. "Here," he meowed. "I bet you're pretty hungry."

Purring thankfully, Quailpaw began chowing down. It was delicious; flavors dancing on his tongue as he savored every bite. Being enclosed in the warmth of his family, he could feel all his stress and worries just melting away.

:

* * *

:

"Pfft, so Willowfur didn't actually take you to see the borders?" Quailpaw asked, trying to contain his laughter.

Cedarpaw rolled his eyes. "No, all he did was show me how to gather moss so we could change the elders bedding. All I learned today was where to find the best places for good moss!" He upped his voice pitch to a more chipper mew. "And if you look to your right, you'll see the spot where _I_ first learned to gather moss!" With an annoyed huff, he returned to his normal pitch. "'Fun mentor' my tail!"

"You ready?"

With a startled squeak, Cedarpaw spun around to find Willowfur standing there with a raised brow. The tabby warrior was clearly not amused, and Quailpaw found the mortified look on his brother's face priceless.

Snickering, Quailpaw nodded. "I think so."

"Alright, then." Willowfur turned, beckoning them to follow with a flick of his tail. He led them through the clearing to the very back of the camp, to where a huge boulder was jutting out of the ground. It was leaning forward and was supported by another rock to keep it from toppling over.

"We call this 'Lookout Rock'," Willowfur explained, placing a paw on the base of the rock. "We post a sentry here to look out onto the moor. We rotate the posts every morning, noon, and night. Why do you think we do this?"

"To watch for intruders?" Quailpaw mewed.

"That's right," Willowfur said, pleased with his answer. "From here, a sentry can spot when someone or something is approaching. It makes surprise invasions next to impossible. Right now it's my turn for sentry duty." He looked up toward the top of the rock and called, "Vinetail! I'm here to relieve you!"

There was a moment of silence, and then the tortoiseshell could be seen jumping over and carefully making her way down the side of the rock. She skidded to a halt in front of them and smirked. "I sure don't envy you guys; storm's gonna be a big one tonight."

Quailpaw returned her smirk with one of his own. "You don't have to worry about us," he meowed with confidence. "I think we can handle a little lightning here or there."

"Whatever you say~" she said in a singsong-y voice as she padded back toward the warriors' den.

Willowfur cleared his voice. "Anyway, you two sit up there," he told them, pointing to a smaller boulder that looked a third of the Lookout Rock's height. "We call that one 'Half-rock'; it's where all apprentices sit during their confirmation. Remember, if you need anything, I'll be right up on the Lookout Rock, so don't hesitate to call for me. Or if you get scared, you can just head back to the apprentices' den, I'm sure Doepaw has made two new nests for you."

Cedarpaw fluffed up his fur defensively. "W-We won't chicken out!"

Willowfur smiled warmly. "I'm sure you won't, I have faith in you."

After that Willowfur climbed up to take his place on Lookout Rock, while Quailpaw and Cedarpaw went to sit on Half-rock to await the upcoming storm. It wasn't long before the cool wind began to blow and a light drizzle of rain began to fall. Dark clouds swirled in a large cluster overhead, and both of them felt a chill run down their spines. Still, it was nothing compared of what had yet to come.

:

* * *

:

The howl of the wind echoed loudly into the night as rain came battering down, flooding the moor with mud.

 _BOOM!_

Quailpaw flattened his ears against the thunder's roar. Lightening flashed and he had to steel himself to keep from flinching. Crouched and pressing his belly to stone, he shivered; he could feel each drop of freezing rain searing down into his bones. Drawing in a shuddered breath, he glanced at Cedarpaw out of the corner of his eye.

His poor brother wasn't doing any better; he was crouched down as well, his muzzle tucked into his paws, ears pressed against his head, and as rigid as the stone they clung too. Quailpaw could see his drenched brown coat clinging to his frame. His own fur was soaked and matted into thick clumps.

 _I don't know how much more of this we can take..._

He hated to admit it, but it was true. They'd been out here for nearly an hour already; anymore and they might die just from fear alone. Or worse, they might fall sick and die a slow, agonizing death in the medicine den, with only Finchspeck to see them off to StarClan.

Quailpaw growled inwardly at the thought.

A small whimper reached his ear, and he also caught a whiff of blood. He looked back over at Cedarpaw, his eyes widening as he found the young apprentice trembling, biting down on his paw to keep himself from crying out in terror.

 _I've got to get him somewhere safe!_

Without hesitation, Quailpaw crawled over to his frightened brother. "Come on, we're getting out of here!" he yelled over the wind, reaching over to release Cedarpaw's bleeding paw from his mouth.

Cedarpaw's eyes were round with fear, but also determination. "I can do this!"

"No, you can't!" Quailpaw urged. "I don't care if you decide to hate me for it, I'm taking you somewhere safe!"

"But I-"

Quailpaw didn't bother listening; he grabbed Cedarpaw by his scruff and dragged him off of Half-Rock. From here, he could see the apprentice den not too far away across the clearing. Ignoring his brother's protests, he marched him away from Lookout Rock and through camp until they reached the den. The den itself was an old badger set, just like warriors' den. But while the warriors' den had brambles covering the entrance, the apprentices' den had ferns.

Quailpaw nudged his brother through the entrance and into the den.

Doepaw stirred in her nest, sensing their presence. She lifted her head. "You guys okay?"

Quailpaw glanced at Cedarpaw, then back at her. She nodded in understanding. She stood up from her nest and padded to a corner of the den, where two new nests lay, and beckoned them with a twitch of her tail.

Urging him with a nudged, Quailpaw led his brother over to the nests. With a small whimper, Cedarpaw collapsed into one of the nests with a flop. Quailpaw crawled into the nest with him, giving his injured paw a comforting lick. Doepaw squeezed in on Cedarpaw's other side, touching her nose to his ear gently. Cedarpaw let out a sigh, resting his chin on his paws, and after a while his breathing slowed.

As soon as he was asleep, Doepaw looked over at Quailpaw with warm eyes. "I'm proud of you."

Quailpaw blinked. "Huh?"

"You brought Cedarpaw here because he scared, right?"

Quailpaw looked away uncertainly. "It wasn't anything special, I just wanted him to feel safe."

Doepaw purred. "It _is_ special! You're first instinct was to protect someone in need, I think that's wonderful."

At her praise, Quailpaw could feel his cheeks grow warm.

"It's kind of a shame you decided not to be a medicine cat," Doepaw went on. "You have that instinct to protect others, just like a healer would. Well, I guess warriors have that, too, so I'm sure no matter which path you chose, you would've been great."


	14. Chapter 12

Quailpaw plucked at the stiff grass beneath his paws from where he waited at the bramble barrier. He looked up at the sun hanging high in the sky. It was almost noon, where was Loudstorm? The gray warrior had come by the apprentices' den this morning saying they'd go hunting today. He'd said that Quailpaw should wait here at the camp entrance while he went to check something with Willowfur.

A pang of frustration hit him when he'd thought about what had happened last night; he and Cedarpaw had probably set a record for the shortest apprentice confirmation in Clan history. This morning hadn't been too great either; Cedarpaw had woken up with a case of the sniffles, so to prevent him catching a serious cold, Doepaw had taken him over to the medicine den to see Finchspeck. Quailpaw had wanted to take him over himself, but he was still adamant on avoiding the medicine cat.

 _At least until he apologizes for yesterday..._

 _"Hachoo!"_

Quailpaw looked over to see Cedarpaw coming up to him, sniffling. "Hey, you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Cedarpaw said. "Finchspeck said I should reinforce my nest so it's warmer at night, and Loudstorm said I could come hunting with you guys."

"Is Willowfur coming, too?"

Cedarpaw shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know if someone's go to take over sentry duty for him, though."

"Don't worry about him."

Quailpaw and Cedarpaw turned at Loudstorm's mew.

"Where's Willowfur?" Quailpaw asked.

"He was relieved from sentry duty this morning," Loudstorm answered, already heading through the camp entrance. "He's resting now in the warriors' den, so today it's just going to be the three of us."

 _Alright! I'm going hunting!_ Quailpaw dove through the brambles after him. When they emerged onto the moor, he couldn't help but charge ahead a little. His fur stood on end from excitement; he couldn't wait to get a juicy rabbit into his claws.

"Don't get your hopes too high," Loudstorm warned as he and Cedarpaw caught up to him. "This is your first hunt, and there's still a lot you have to learn."

 _I'm ready for this!_ Quailpaw felt confident, despite what happened last night.

"Where are we hunting?" Cedarpaw mewed as Loudstorm led them over the moor.

"I thought we could hunt in the northern part of the territory," Loudstorm responded.

Cedarpaw gasped. "You mean, by the PineClan border?" At the older cat's nod, he gave a little happy skip.

Quailpaw smiled. His brother hadn't gotten to see the PineClan border yet, so he would see it for the first time today.

 _Hopefully we don't run into that apprentice with the attitude from yesterday..._

The three of them picked up their pace to a steady trot as they made their way north. With leaf-bare right on their heels, the weather had been getting colder and gloomier with each day that passed. But today, while it still was cold, the pale sky could be clearly seen, with skinny gray clouds streaming by overhead. It wasn't perfect, but it was better than it had been.

Reaching the top of a small slope, Loudstorm halted. "This is a good spot."

Quailpaw looked into the distance. Far away, he could see the tops of the pine trees poking out from behind a tall hill.

"Now," Loudstorm began, turning to face them. "When it comes to hunting, the first lesson you need to learn is patience."

Cedarpaw tilted his head to the side. "Patience?"

"Yes, prey isn't going to come out of hiding just because you want it to. A good hunter needs to know how to wait for it to come out into the open." Turning away, Loudstorm padded forward and lowered into a crouch. "When you spot the prey, you have sneak up on it slowly and silently, so you don't alert it to your presence."

Quailpaw watched his mentor closely as he crept forward, keeping his belly and tail raised above the ground to not let them brush the grass and make any noise.

"Speed is important for the next step," Loudstorm continued. "When you're sure you're close enough, you want to leap out and quickly pin it down. Then you'll be able to deal a killing blow." He demonstrated this by using his powerful hind legs to launch himself forward, covering a large distance in a single pounce. Once he landed he turned back to his onlookers. "Want to give it a shot?"

Nodding, both Quailpaw and Cedarpaw lowered themselves into a crouch, and tried to closely follow Loudstorm's example. Quailpaw struggled a bit with the stalk, as no matter how high he raised his belly and tail, his long fur kept brushing against grass. While he did okay with the leap, Cedarpaw missed his landing and fell on his stomach. And neither of them could jump the distance Loudstorm had.

"You'll get it with more practice," Loudstorm told them reassuringly. Suddenly something caught his attention, and he swiveled his head around, ears pricked.

Quailpaw stood up and pricked his ears as well. He could hear faint voices sounding from over the hill. Were they PineClan cats? A patrol?

 _StarClan, please don't let it be that bratty Hawkpaw!_

Without a word, Loudstorm padded quietly padded up the hill, beckoning the two apprentices with a flick of his tail. They followed, and the three of them crouched at the top of the slope. It was then that Quailpaw spotted an opening in the ground on the ridge not too far away.

"What is that? A badger set?" he asked.

"No," Loudstorm said, keeping his voice a low mew. "You'll see, just wait."

As soon as he said that, a group of figures emerged from from the opening. Taking a closer look, Quailpaw realized what they were.

 _Cats!_

There were four of them; in the lead was a skinny brown tabby, followed closely by a cat with long white fur, a long-legged, black-furred cat, and the cat bringing up the rear had a dark, smoky pelt.

"Who are they?" Quailpaw hissed to Loudstorm.

Cedarpaw's eyes were wide. "Are they trespassers? Rogues?"

Loudstorm shook his head. "No, they're CaveClan cats."

 _CaveClan?_ The Clan that dwelled deep underground, in the caverns below; Quailpaw remembered them from the nursery stories Breezetail used to tell. But why were they here, on _StormClan_ land?

"CaveClan's territory runs under ours and the other three Clans' territories," Loudstorm explained. "The caverns are vast, and they have many tunnels that lead above ground throughout the valley."

"That's insane!" Quailpaw protested. "How could the other Clans be okay with that? With those tunnels, CaveClan could invade any territory they pleased!"

Loudstorm sighed bitterly. "It's been this way for generations, and it's not like there's anything we or the other Clans could do about it. CaveClan cats are born and raised down in those caverns, so only they know how to navigate them. If we above-ground-dwellers went down there, we'd be lost for moons, maybe even forever."

When Quailpaw was about to retort, he continued, "Besides, just as we can't go underground, they don't fare any better above-ground. They usually come up here just for Gatherings, and if the prey down there is running low or becoming scarce."

Cedarpaw blinked at him. "What do they eat, anyway?"

"Rats, snakes, bats, name anything that can live in a cave, they probably eat it."

Crinkling his nose in disgust, Quailpaw suppressed a shudder. Who would willingly have _snakes_ as a meal? Looking closer at the CaveClan cats, he spotted something strange; all of them had colored patches on one of their shoulders... was it mud?

"Is that mud on their shoulders?" he asked.

Loudstorm followed his gaze to where the CaveClan cats were and shook his head. "No, it's some kind of weird paste they make from berries or something."

"Why would they do that?"

"Take a closer look," Loudstorm said. "See that white cat? See how the patch on his shoulder resembles a paw print?"

Quailpaw looked at the white cat closer. Upon further inspection, the patch on his shoulder did look like a paw print, with claws. There was also a black paw print-like patch on one of his eyes too.

"The moment they become apprentices," Loudstorm continued. "CaveClan cats get a paw print mark on their shoulder. When they become warriors, they add claws to the mark."

"What if they have two paw print marks?"

Loudstorm blinked in confusion, then smiled. "Oh, you mean that white cat. That's Pawpelt, he was born with that mark; he's one of CaveClan's newest warriors."

 _Pawpelt? Wait-_ "Does that mean...?"

A chuckle sounded from the older tom. "Yes, until recently he was known as, 'Pawpaw'."

Quailpaw and Cedarpaw burst out laughing at that. That poor tomcat, he probably had to put up with so much teasing and heckling when he was an apprentice.

Loudstorm went on, "Besides Pawpelt, I think I know the other cats in that patrol. The black cat is Longshadow, and the smaller cat is his apprentice, Darkpaw. The tabby is CaveClan's deputy, Sparrowfeather."

Quailpaw and Cedarpaw's laughter soon died down, and the three of them watched as the patrol headed back to the opening and down into the tunnel. When they were out of sight, Loudstorm turned and padded back down the slope.

"Let's get back to practicing, shall we?"

:

* * *

:

They practiced until the sun began to slide down toward the horizon.

"I think that's enough for today," Loudstorm announced. "Let's head back."

"Aw, come on!" Quailpaw protested. "Just one more go?" He close to getting it, he was sure.

"We can come back tomorrow," Loudstorm told him, starting to pad away.

"Come on, Quailpaw," Cedarpaw said, fluffing up his fur. "It's cold and I'm getting hungry."

Quailpaw sighed and rose to his paws. "Alright."

Cedarpaw trotted ahead to catch up to Loudstorm, with Quailpaw trailing not far behind. His tail dragged slightly along the grass; he wanted to practice _now_. A sudden skitter of paws caught his attention, and he glanced to the side. He spotted a rabbit with grayish-brown fur munching on grass not too far away, clearly unaware of his presence.

 _This is my chance!_

Immediately Quailpaw lowered into a crouch, careful to lift his belly and tail so they only skimmed the grass. Slowly and steadily, he crept toward the rabbit. The unsuspecting creature still didn't notice him, and continued chewing on blades of grass. He tried to keep his racing heart calm, for fear the rabbit might hear how loud it was.

So focused on the rabbit, Quailpaw didn't notice the pebble his hind paw was about to kick until it was too late. The pebble tumbled, and the rabbit was alerted to its onlooker. The rabbit spotted him and dashed away.

 _No!_

Leaping to his paws in an instant, Quailpaw gave chase. He picked up his pace as he ran, trying to cover more distance in a single stride. The rabbit kept running a few tail-lengths ahead of him, but he could feel the gap between them lessen. Taking a chance, Quailpaw took a short pause to prepare himself. He tensed the muscles in his hind legs, then leaped.

The rabbit went to react, but he was quicker. He landed squarely on its back, pinning it to the ground with all his body weight. It struggled, trying to slip out from under him.

 _You're not getting away!_

Quailpaw swiftly bent his head and sank his teeth into the rabbit's neck. The warm, fresh tang of blood flooded his senses, and for a moment it continued to struggle, but then it soon went still.

Loudstorm, having heard the commotion, came rushing over, pelt bristling in alarm. "What's going on here?"

Quailpaw sat up and turned to face him, lifting the rabbit by its neck.

Loudstorm's eyes lit up. "Wonderful! Great catch!"

Cedarpaw appeared beside him, eyes wide with amazement. "You caught _that?_ It's almost as big as you!"

Quailpaw puffed out his chest with pride.

"You must give thanks," Loudstorm told him. "To the rabbit who gave its life so the Clan may eat, and to StarClan for providing you with a catch."

 _Oh, uh... Thank you, StarClan and... rabbit, I guess..._

Loudstorm purred happily. "Better get it back to camp before it gets cold."

 _Right, but can I really carry this thing all the way back to-_

As if he read his mind, Loudstorm reached over and took the rabbit from him to carry it. He mewed his thanks and padded past him to head back to camp.

:

* * *

:

"No way!" Tadpolepaw mewed in disbelief as Loudstorm went to place the rabbit on the fresh-kill pile. "He really caught that?"

Cedarpaw grinned. "All by himself!"

Quailpaw felt his cheeks grow warm. He was really proud of himself, for sure, but he didn't want his Clanmates think he was arrogant. He made sure to sit up straight as more cats came to eye his catch.

"That's amazing!" Doepaw's eyes glittered as she came up to congratulate him.

"It's only his first hunting lesson," Starlingflight told Loudstorm. "With that kind potential, he could become one of the greatest hunters in StormClan."

"That's true," Honeywhisker chimed in. "You're lucky to have him, Loudstorm."

The gray warrior's eyes glowed at the praise, and he met Quailpaw's gaze with a proud nod.

Quailpaw's eyes flitted around the camp. Would Stormflower come over to congratulate him as well? The silvery tabby was nowhere to be seen, and her scent was stale. She must have gone out with a patrol earlier. Finchspeck came out of his den and padded over to the fresh-kill pile. He sniffed at the rabbit and turned to offer Quailpaw a slight smile, but Quailpaw looked away. He still wasn't quite ready to be on speaking terms with him again.

He felt Creekfeather press his muzzle to his head. "You did well," he purred. "I'm so proud of you."

"Just wait and see what I bring in tomorrow!" Cedarpaw said, coming over to join them. "I'm gonna catch _two_ rabbits!"

"It's not a competition," Creekfeather told him, smiling. "What's important is that you work hard to better yourselves. Both of you." He nodded toward the rabbit on the fresh-kill pile. "Quailpaw, why don't you take that over to the elders? I'm sure Graywolf and Poolswirl would love to hear about how you caught it."

"Sure thing." Quailpaw went to pick up the rabbit, then padded over toward the elders' den. It was an old fallen tree that had been blown over from the forest during a big storm, many, many moons ago. The tree's branches stretched and splayed out onto the ground like long, hairless legs. Lichen and moss sprouted from every corner and crevice in the old wood.

Quailpaw ducked under a jutting branch, trying to keep the rabbit from dragging as he squeezed through. He weaved his way through the maze of tangled branches until he came to an open space among them. Graywolf was stretched out lying on his back, his shaggy gray fur looking as if it hadn't been groomed in days. Poolswirl was curled up next to him with her tail tip over her nose, and Windsong could be heard snoring somewhere in the back of the den.

Poolswirl lifted her head, eyes lighting up as he approached. "Oh, Quailpaw! It's been a while since you came to visit. Is that for us?"

Graywolf rolled over, ears pricked, as Quailpaw laid the rabbit out for them. He nodded.

"I caught it today," he told them.

"Oh, dear, that's wonderful!" Poolswirl mewed as Graywolf sniffed at the prey. "And it's only your second day as an apprentice!"

Graywolf bit into the rabbit. "Not surprisin', really," he meowed around a mouthful. "I caught a rabbit just as big as this one on my _first_ day, after all."

"Hah!" Windsong sounded from deeper into the den. "When my mate, Ryefield, was an apprentice he took down a _hawk!_ That's how Hawkfoot got her name, actually..."

Poolswirl rolled her eyes at the two of them. "Don't listen to Windsong," she whispered to Quailpaw. "She's just exaggerating about the time Ryefield almost got carried away by a hawk and his mentor had to save his tail."

Quailpaw snickered. "So... I'm not the only one that has happened to?"

"Oh, no," Poolswirl said. "Far from it, actually. Almost everyone in the Clan has been nearly taken by a hawk, it just goes to show how dangerous those birds are."

Graywolf swallowed a mouthful of prey. "We've been dealin' with those birds since that days of our founder. Good lesson to learn here in StormClan; if you can't run from somethin', you gotta stand and fight." He pushed the rabbit toward Poolswirl so she could eat, then licked a paw and swiped it over his ear. "You keep up the good work with that huntin' and Troutstar might consider lettin' you go to the Gatherin' tomorrow."

 _The_ _Gathering!_ "You think?"

"I reckon so, given you proved your skills today," Graywolf told him. "Bet if you bring another one of these here rabbits, he'll definitely let you go."

As Poolswirl finished her share of the rabbit, she looked up at Quailpaw. "That is what you want, right, dear?"

Quailpaw nodded. Tomorrow, he'd bring in the best catch any StormClan cat had ever seen. That way, Troutstar would just _have_ to let him go!


	15. Chapter 13

_"Hachoo!"_

Quailpaw was startled awake that morning. Looking over in his brother's nest, he saw Cedarpaw rubbing his nose with his paw, before curling deeper into the bracken.

 _Well, I'm up now._

Yawning, Quailpaw sat up and stretched. While Cedarpaw was falling back asleep, Doepaw and Tadpolepaw were beginning to stir. A cold scent drifted into the den, but it was different from before; it was clean, and it didn't sting when Quailpaw breathed it in. The lighting was different, too.

Quailpaw hopped out of his nest and peeked out through the fern fronds, his eyes widening at the sight that lay before him. The whole camp was covered in a thick layer of white; not an inch of green to be seen anywhere.

 _Snow!_

Doepaw appeared at his side. "Wow!" she mewed. "It must've snowed overnight."

Tadpolepaw's nose crinkled as he slipped through the den entrance, his paws sinking deep into the cold layer of snow. "As if it weren't cold enough!"

Quailpaw stuck a paw out and poked it at the white fluff. Tadpolepaw was right, it _was_ cold.

 _The first snowfall of the season is on the night of the Gathering. I wonder if that means anything._

He decided there was no point in delaying the inevitable, and launched himself into the snow, kicking up a spray of fluff. A sleepy yawn sounded from behind him; Cedarpaw had woken up and followed him outside. Doepaw raced past him with an excited _mrrow_.

Quailpaw tried to catch up, but he realized that the snow was clogging up in his fur and dragging at him, slowing him down. He forced himself to move and charged through the snow.

He could hear squealing from across the clearing; Breezetail's kits were awake as well and were playing in their new discovery.

"Did LightClan do this?" Badgerkit asked, eyes gleaming. "Is this an attack?"

The brambles outside the nursery quivered as Breezetail pushed her way through. "No, this is snow. It falls from the sky sometimes during leaf-bare."

Dewkit tumbled out after her, and tackled his brother playfully.

Emeraldkit bounced over and leaped onto Cedarpaw with a squeak, causing the older tom to fall and face plant into the snow. "Got you! Got you!"

"Oh, no! StormClan's bravest and most powerful warrior has taken me down!" Cedarpaw sighed dramatically, putting a triumphant smile on the kit's face. "What ever shall I do?"

Quailpaw laughed at how his brother played along with Emeraldkit. The two of them had always gotten along pretty well ever since their nursery days. He looked enviously at Cedarpaw's smooth brown pelt; no wonder how he was able to move so freely in the snow. He pushed away the pang of jealousy and headed over to the warriors' den, where Loudstorm had just emerged.

"Are we going hunting again today?" he asked hopefully.

Loudstorm looked thoughtful for a moment, then shook his head. "I don't think so. I highly doubt any prey will be out in this weather."

Quailpaw's tail drooped. "Oh."

"Why don't you take some water over to the elders?" Loudstorm suggested. "I'm sure they would appreciate not having to go out and find a puddle when it's this cold. You can soak moss and bring it to them, I'm pretty sure Finchspeck has a few extra moss balls in his den."

 _He's trying to get us to reconcile_ , Quailpaw thought, brows furrowing. But he didn't protest. "Alright."

He trotted across the clearing, bidding greetings as he passed newly-awoken members of the Clan. When he got to the medicine den, he hesitated before sticking his head through the large crack in the stone. "Finchspeck?"

Shuffling noises told him that the medicine cat was already awake. Finchspeck shifted out of the shadows, his gray and ginger-dappled pelt coming into view. His eyes widened a little when he saw the young apprentice. "Quailpaw..."

"Um, hey," Quailpaw replied. This felt so awkward. "So... I wanted to take some water over to Graywolf and the others with some moss. Loudstorm said you had extra...?"

"Oh, yes." Finchspeck turned and headed to the back of his den. There was some more shuffling and when he returned he was carrying a wad of moss. "Be sure to bring that back when you're done with it," he said as he handed it over. "I can let it dry and use it again later."

Mouth full of moss, Quailpaw responded with a nod. He didn't meet Finchspeck's eyes once during their interaction, and turned away before the medicine cat could say anything else. He spotted a puddle not too far away and padded over to soak the moss before carrying over to the elders' den.

All three elders were curled up in their nests. Windsong lifted her head as Quailpaw squeezed into the tree trunk, and she let out a hiss. "Don't bring that moss over here! I don't want my bedding getting wet."

Quailpaw held his tongue to keep from snapping back. Creekfeather had always told him to be nice to the elders, even when they were being ornery. He'd said that they deserved respect after many years of contributing to the Clan.

"Leave him alone, Windsong," Poolswirl sounded from her nest. She blinked at her grandson gratefully. "You brought that for us, didn't you? Thank you, that's very kind. Bring it over here, away from Windsong's nest."

Quailpaw obeyed, and placed the moss in front of Poolswirl's nest. Her frame trembled slightly as she sat up and stretched her neck to lap at the dripping fronds. When she was done she let out a small exhale. "Thank you again, Quailpaw," she mewed. "That was good. Graywolf, dear, would you like a drink as well?"

Graywolf only huffed in response.

 _Was that a 'no'?_

Poolswirl took it as a 'no', so it probably was. Mewing a little goodbye to his grandparents, Quailpaw picked up the moss and went to take it back to the medicine den. He weaved his way through the branches once more, and when he emerged into the clearing beyond, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He spotted Sunnykit's cream tabby pelt peeking out from behind the brambles of the nursery. At first, he thought nothing of it, but when he looked closer he saw that she was crouched over, a shudder passing through her tiny frame.

Concerned, Quailpaw put down the moss and trotted over to her. As he got closer he heard her let out a quiet moan, her face wincing in pain. "Sunnykit!"

She whipped around at the sound of his voice, fear lighting in her lavender eyes. "Q-Quailpaw!"

"Are you alright?" he asked. "You look like you're in pain."

Sunnykit blinked at him, then looked away. "M-My belly..." she mewed in a tiny voice.

"Is your belly aching? I'll call for Breezetail, she'll take you over to see Finchspeck."

"No!" Sunnykit shot to her paws, wincing as pain shot through her. "Q-Quailpaw, please don't! Don't tell Breezetail!"

Quailpaw felt a pang of suspicion. "Why? What did you do, Sunnykit?"

"Nothing, I didn't-" Sunnykit was cut off by another shot of pain, and she whimpered. "Okay, I... I found a dead mouse tangled in the bramble barrier yesterday. I wanted to see what it tasted like, so I..."

 _She ate crow-food!_ Quailpaw's pelt bristled in alarm. "Sunnykit! Everyone knows crow-food makes you really sick, that's why we're not allowed to eat it!" No wonder she wasn't out with her littermates earlier. He swiveled his head around. "Breezetail!"

"No, Quailpaw, don't-"

It was too late for Sunnykit to protest, Breezetail hurried over to them when she heard her name called. Her gaze flitted between Quailpaw and her daughter. "What's going on?"

"Your kit has been eating crow-food!" Quailpaw said, glaring down at the little tabby.

"What?!" Breezetail gave her daughter a stern look. "Sunnykit, is this true?"

Sunnykit nodded hesitantly, not meeting her mother's gaze.

"Sunnykit!" Breezetail sighed in exasperation. "How many times have I told you to stay away from crow-food? I'm very disappointed in you! Just wait 'til you father hears about this."

Breezetail picked up Sunnykit by her scruff to take her over to the medicine den, and Quailpaw caught the little glare the she-kit sent him as she was carried away.

 _It's for her own good_ , Quailpaw thought, going back to get the moss he'd left behind. _Finchspeck will probably give her chervil roots for that bellyache._

That is, if the medicine cat didn't slip away to go _herb-hunting_ again.

Picking up his moss, he headed for the medicine den, stopping momentarily to greet Stormflower, who was sharing a conversation with Hazelnose. His mother's only response was curt nod before going back to speaking with the gray and white warrior. As he continued on his way, he saw Breezetail emerge from the medicine den with Sunnykit. The little tabby looked a bit dazed as Breezetail marched her across the clearing, the queen herself sending a grateful glance Quailpaw's way.

When Quailpaw stuck his head through the medicine den entrance, he saw Finchspeck tending to his herb stores. The gray tomcat was focused on his work, but his ears were angled in Quailpaw's direction.

"I brought back the moss," Quailpaw mewed around his mouthful.

"Hn," was Finchspeck's response.

Quailpaw slipped into the den and placed the moss beside a pile of more in the corner. "I saw Breezetail and Sunnykit coming from here just now. Did you give them something?"

"Chervil roots for bellyache."

 _Knew it_ , Quailpaw thought smugly. "It's a good thing you were here to help," he meowed. "I thought you might've gone looking for herbs again." His words held no edge to them, but he could tell by the way Finchspeck flinched that they stung.

There was a long pause of silence before Finchspeck spoke again.

"Clanmates are more important than herbs." His mew was soft.

Quailpaw blinked at the medicine cat, who still had his back turned to him. He'd never heard him speak with such a gentle voice. No, he must've heard wrong. There was no way he was saying he was...

Finchspeck turned, gazing at him apologetically out of the corner of his eye.

 _Sorry._

Quailpaw turned away, forcing down the happiness he felt bubbling in his chest. "I'll bring you a sparrow from the fresh-kill pile later, if you want."

 _Apology accepted._

"I'd like that."

Quailpaw smiled at his response, then squeezed through the crack in boulder den. As he stepped into the clearing, he spotted Troutstar trotting up to him through the snow.

"Breezetail just told what happened with Sunnykit," the Clan leader meowed. "You have my thanks."

Quailpaw blinked at him. "Oh, I just wanted to help. I know how kits are when they're in over their heads," he added with a chuckle.

"I can see you've grown from you're days of sneaking out of the camp," Troutstar said, whiskers twitching. "I want you to come to the Gathering tonight."

Quailpaw stared at him. "R-Really?"

"Of course, I think you've proven yourself ready." Troutstar raised a brow at him. "I assume you _do_ want to come?"

"Oh, yeah!" Quailpaw nodded immediately. It may have not worked out the way he'd thought it would, but who cares? He wasn't going to let this chance slip away!

"Good. We're leaving when it gets dark, so before then get something to eat and as much rest as you can."

:

* * *

:

 _I'm going to the Gathering!_

Quailpaw struggled to contain his excitement as night began to fall. A cold breeze made the bramble barrier tremble, and moonlight washed over the camp, turning the blanket of snow a stunning silver.

The cats who were going to the Gathering had started to gather in the clearing, preparing to leave.

"I wish I was going with you," Cedarpaw mewed in disappointment.

"I'll tell you everything that happened when we get back," Quailpaw promised, trying to cheer up his brother.

"But I'm nearly as big as Quailpaw!" Badgerkit whined as his mother nudged him back into the nursery. "Why can't I go?"

"You're not an apprentice," Breezetail told him. "Besides, wouldn't you rather keep Sunnykit company while she's recovering?"

Badgerkit pouted, but gave a little nod.

Finchspeck, Hazelnose, Loudstorm, Ravenclaw, Honeywhisker, Willowfur, Vinetail, Poolswirl, Graywolf, Doepaw, and Tadpolepaw had all assembled in the clearing, and were awaiting their leader's signal to leave.

Quailpaw also spotted Creekfeather and Stormflower outside the warriors' den. The two of them were deep in conversation, occasionally flitting their gazes toward Quailpaw, making his pelt prickle a little. Were they talking about him?

Their conversation ended and Creekfeather padded over to him. "You feeling nervous?" he asked.

Quailpaw straightened up. "A little, I guess, but I'll manage."

"Remember what I told you," Creekfeather meowed. "The Gathering is held during a truce between the five Clans, so you can't go stirring up trouble."

"I won't!" Quailpaw felt indignation flare up within. Didn't Troutstar say he'd grown from his days as a kit? Isn't that why he was permitted to attend the Gathering? Although, thinking back to what happened at the LightClan border, maybe Creekfeather was right to be concerned.

"Also," Creekfeather continued. "Remember that the truce is over the second the Gathering ends, so don't go getting too close to any cats from the other Clans."

Quailpaw snorted. _As if I'd even consider it!_

The ferns outside the leader's den trembled, shaking the snow that lay on their fronds. Troutstar emerged and headed across the clearing toward Creekfeather. "Is everyone ready?"

Creekfeather nodded. "Yes, sir. Everyone's all assembled."

"Good. Let's be on our way then."

The Clan cats parted to let their leader through, and one by one they followed him through the camp entrance. Creekfeather beckoned Quailpaw with his tail, and the two of them trotted over to join their Clanmates.

"I'll stay up until you get back!" Cedarpaw called after them. "Remember to tell me everything that goes on, and don't forget a single detail!"


	16. Chapter 14

The full moon hung high in the night sky, shining brightly amongst the glittering stars as the StormClan cats trudged their way across the moor through the silver snow.

Quailpaw fluffed up his thick fur as his breath became visible due to the cold. A pang of worry hit him, and he wondered if the Gathering would go okay tonight despite the chilling weather. Had a Gathering ever been canceled because it was too cold?

 _Hopefully not._

His ears pricked at the sound of running water; they were almost at the river. It was then that Quailpaw had a sudden thought.

"How are we going to cross the river?" he asked Creekfeather, who had been padding at his side.

"You'll see," Creekfeather told him. "Just be patient, we're almost there."

As they approached the river, Quailpaw noticed that something was different about it; a sheet of foggy white lay over it, obscuring the water from view and muffling the sound of the rushing water under it.

"Whoa!" Ravenclaw gasped. "It looks like it froze overnight!"

Tadpolepaw went over and gave the ice a curious poke with a paw. "Can we walk on it?"

"It's too thin," Troutstar meowed. "If we try to walk across, it would easily break and we'd fall into the river. We'll be using our usual way of crossing the river." With a twitch of his tail, he beckoned his cats as he padded alongside the river.

The group of cats followed the river, and soon came to a large fallen tree. By the scent it gave off, Quailpaw deduced it was pine, but its thin branches were bare, having lost all their needles long ago. Its long trunk stretched over the river, and its roots tangled into the ground on the other side. Snow rested on top of the trunk, and on further inspection, the trunk seemed to be hollow on the inside, giving it the appearance of a tunnel. One by one the clan cats lined up to cross it.

 _So this is how we cross,_ Quailpaw thought, looking uncertainly at all the little cracks and nicks in the bark. _But can it take all of us walking across? It looks so old; it looks like it would give way to just one cat's weight._

A nudge from Creekfeather interrupted his thoughts. "Go on, it's your turn."

Quailpaw blinked, realizing his clanmates had already started to cross. Peering through the trunk, he saw Loudstorm on the other side, giving him a reassuring nod.

 _Well, here goes nothing._

Hesitantly, Quailpaw stepped forward into the tree trunk. He flinched when he heard the bark creek under his weight, but feeling his clanmates' gazes at his back kept him from turning away. He took great care to keep his paws at the center of the trunk as he slowly and steadily made his way through.

When he emerged into the open space in the roots on the other side, he was met with Loudstorm's warm smile, and he let out a sigh of relief. He'd managed to make it across without freaking out.

 _I probably won't be able to say the same for Cedarpaw when it's his turn._

As the rest of the group filed through the tree-tunnel, a familiar mew sounded from not too far away. Quailpaw turned to see Snowstar and another group of cats trotting up to them from the pine forest. The PineClan leader's pure-white pelt was barely visible against the snow, the only thing making him stand out was his clear blue gaze.

"Good evening!" Snowstar greeted, a friendly gleam lighting his eyes as he padded up to Troutstar. "A fine night for a Gathering, isn't it?"

"I suppose," Troutstar mewed, raising a brow slightly. "But be sure to announce yourself when we get to the Star Tree, otherwise the other Clans might not even know you're there. You're practically invisible in this weather."

Snowstar laughed. "True."

A PineClan cat stepped forward to his leader's side. "Snowstar, we're wasting moonlight."

"I know, Blackfang," Snowstar said, before turning back to Troutstar. "Shall we travel together?"

Troutstar responded with a nod, and the two groups of cats were off again. Quailpaw found it interesting how the cats from two separate clans walked together so easily. Snowstar had fallen back to pad at Loudstorm's side, letting the StormClan leader take the lead, while Creekfeather had started up a conversation with the cat called Blackfang. The rest of the cats mingled and chatted as if they'd known each other all their lives.

 _Must be because of our clans' history._

It wasn't long before the Star Tree came into view, and Quailpaw inhaled sharply as he took it in. The great tree lay in an open space amongst the surrounding forest, towering high above all the other trees in the area. Its huge branches spread out far and wide, reaching for the sky as it cast black shadows against the moonlit snow.

Two of the other clans had already arrived, huddled and mingling at the base of the tree's large roots. Quailpaw recognized LightClan by their sent, and judging by the painted markings on their shoulders, the other clan was CaveClan. He also spotted two cats perched up on the roots of the Star Tree. The first one was a she-cat with a sleek black and white coat, who wore a painted paw-print with claws on her shoulder and a star-shaped marking on her forehead.

 _She must be CaveClan's leader._

The second cat was a tom with dappled-gray fur. His sharp amber eyes cast a wary glance at the StormClan cats as they drew near.

 _Thistlestar_ , Quailpaw realized, suppressing a growl. Even if tonight was a truce, he didn't like the idea of sharing the same space with LightClan for _any_ amount of time. He felt uncomfortable at the number of gleaming eyes that met their and PineClan's arrival, and his nose was flooded with unfamiliar scents.

"Don't worry," Creekfeather murmured to him, sensing his discomfort. "You'll be fine."

"Indeed," Loudstorm agreed as he broke away from Snowstar. "How 'bout we sit together over there?" He gestured with his tail to an open space where the snow had been flattened and smoothed by cats walking over it.

Quailpaw blinked gratefully at his mentor, before going over and settling down beside him. He watched as StormClan and PineClan joined in with the other clans. Troutstar and Snowstar climbed up onto the Star Tree's roots to take their places alongside the other two clan leaders, while Creekfeather and Blackfang sat at the base with the other deputies. Finchspeck had gone over to join another group of cats that sat at the roots' base.

 _They must the medicine cats from the other_ _clans_ , Quailpaw thought as the rest of his clanmates found spaces for themselves to sit.

"Where's FireClan?" he heard Snowstar meow.

The CaveClan leader sighed. "Late again, it seems."

"Typical," Thistlestar said, rolling his eyes. "You know how Thunderstar is getting up there in age, he probably had to stop and rest on the way here. Honestly, if he's just going to waste our time like this then he should just do us all a favor and pass on already."

Troutstar narrowed his eyes. "You should learn to respect your elders," he told him. "Thunderstar is the wisest cat in all the clans; he'll probably outlive us all just to spite us."

Thistlestar didn't reply, but met his gaze with a edged glare.

At that moment, movement shifted among the trees that lined the clearing. Shadows stirred, and a fifth group of cats slipped into the clearing, carrying with them a strangely warm, soothing scent.

"Oh, look," Quailpaw heard a LightClan cat sneer. "The tree-dwellers have _finally_ decided to grace us with their presence."

Quailpaw furrowed his brows. "'Tree-dwellers?'"

"FireClan cats live up in the trees," Loudstorm explained. "Their part of the forest has a ton of huge oaks in it, and FireClan makes their homes in them, above the ground."

 _That's pretty strange, but... kind of cool._

The FireClan cats weaved in to join the other groups. In the lead was a golden-brown tom, who was surprisingly even bigger than Loudstorm! His frail and skinny frame showed his age, but his eyes were like cold steel.

 _That's probably Thunderstar_ , Quailpaw realized. He did look pretty elderly, even older than Windsong, who was the oldest cat in StormClan.

"Hey, flea-bag!" a CaveClan apprentice shouted at the old leader as he walked by. Quailpaw recognized him as the tomcat, Darkpaw.

"If you're going to be late all time, maybe you shouldn't bother coming at all!" Darkpaw spat at the FireClan leader, earning shocked gasps and murmurs from cats from every clan.

"Has he lost his mind?!"

"He's crazy!"

"Longshadow, control your apprentice!"

"I can't believe he just said that to his face!"

"No one talks that way to Thunderstar!"

Quailpaw looked around, taking in the the mews of disbelief. What were they talking about? Thunderstar seemed just like any other old cat, completely harmless-

It all happened so suddenly. With lightning speed, Thunderstar whipped around and lashed out at the young apprentice, raking his claws upside Darkpaw's head. Darkpaw staggered back, blood dripping down from the gash above his eye.

Quailpaw watched the event unfold, speechless and jaw dropped. He'd never seen a cat move so fast! How could an elder like Thunderstar even _do_ something like that?

Thunderstar moved along as if nothing happened, and went to sit with the other leaders, snapping at a golden-furred she-cat who tried to help him climb onto a tree root.

"The poor fool," Loudstorm muttered, watching with pity as Darkpaw was scolded by his mentor. "He may be old, but Thunderstar will tear your hide off if you disrespect him."

Quailpaw gazed up at the old leader with a mix of fear and awe. _If he's like that in old age, what was he like in his prime?_ he wondered in amazement. He looked around as the cats of the clans were intermingling.

"Isn't the Gathering going to start now that everyone's here?" he asked.

"The clan leaders will announce when it starts," Loudstorm told him. "For now, they're giving us some time to chat with our neighbors."

Quailpaw felt disappointed. He wanted to see if the leaders would share any interesting news, but it looks like he'd have to wait a bit longer. He spotted Doepaw's familiar dappled pelt from where she was sitting amongst the crowd. She looked nervous as her brother pushed through cats to her side.

"Hey, sis!" Tadpolepaw meowed. "I met these CaveClan apprentices and they were telling me this cool story about how one of them wrestled a snake! Wanna come meet them?"

Doepaw shifted uncomfortably and looked down at her paws. "I don't think so. I kinda just... want to get this Gathering over with. Why don't you just go and have a good time?"

Tadpolepaw pouted. "You're no fun!" He spun around and trotted off.

Quailpaw saw guilt light Doepaw's eyes at her brother's departure. He stood up and went over to her.

"You don't have to talk to other clan cats if you don't want to," he mewed. "That story was probably a big lie, anyway. I don't know any cat who could wrestle a snake."

Doepaw blinked at him. "Thanks, but that's not exactly why I-"

"Well, well, well."

A new voice sounded from behind, and Quailpaw bristled as he recognized who it belonged to. He turned to see a familiar dark tabby pad up to them, followed by a black she-cat with ice-blue eyes.

Quailpaw growled. _Hawkpaw._

A wide grinned adorned he PineClan apprentice's features. "If it isn't _Doepaw._ How nice to see you again!" He looked at Quailpaw disdainfully. "Oh, and _you_. Was kinda hoping I wouldn't see you here."

"Same," Quailpaw said bitterly.

Doepaw raised her brows at him. "You know each other?"

"We met at the border."

"So, Doepaw," Hawkpaw said, shoving himself between the two StormClan apprentices. "What are you doing hanging out with this fur-ball? I mean, I know he's your clanmate, but surely you could find better company?"

Doepaw just rolled her eyes and shot him an 'are you kidding me' look.

"Well, it's not like this guy's doing any better," the black she-cat mewed coolly, eyeing Quailpaw. "He has to share his den with a _kittypet_ , after all."

Doepaw froze at that.

"What do you call her?" Quailpaw snarled, anger flaring up like wildfire within him.

The she-cat narrowed her eyes. "Did I stutter?"

Quailpaw unsheathed his claws, a low growl rumbling in his throat. _How dare she! Nobody calls my friend a kittypet and gets away with it!_

"Quailpaw, no!" Doepaw jumped in between the two of them, looking at Quailpaw with pleading eyes. "This is a Gathering, you can't fight here! Just let it go!"

Quailpaw ignored her. "Where did you hear that? Who said she was a kittypet?" he spat at the she-cat.

"Everybody knows it," Hawkpaw said, moving to his clanmate's side. "A while ago we kept finding traces of StormClan scent near our border with the Twoleg nest. It was her mother, Morningcloud."

 _Liar! Morningcloud would never trespass on another clan's territory... would she?_

"What's going on here?"

Quailpaw froze as his father strode up to them, eyes narrowed. He shot a sharp look at his son, making Quailpaw flinch. He swallowed nervously and said nothing. The other apprentices stayed silent as well; no one wanted to own up to their confrontation.

"This is a truce," Creekfeather said sternly. "A rare time of peace between all the clans, and you would disrupt it so easily? You should all be ashamed of yourselves! Now return to your clanmates, the Gathering will start soon."

Creekfeather gazed at Quailpaw with disappointment, before turning to rejoin the other clan deputies. Hawkpaw and his friend shot the StormClan apprentices a cold look, but said nothing as they padded away.

Quailpaw sat down and hung his head in shame. "I can't believe I just did that..."

 _Dad trusted me, and I let him down..._

"You need to calm down," Doepaw mewed. "You can't be so quick to anger."

"You're right, I need to be more like you," Quailpaw said, looking at her with admiration. "You were the one they were calling 'kittypet', but you didn't let them get to you."

Doepaw looked down at her paws. "It's not that they don't get to me." Her voice shook a little. "I hate it when they call me that, and I hate thinking they might be right."

Quailpaw furrowed his brows. "Didn't you ever ask Morningcloud who your father is?"

"Of course I did!" Doepaw sighed. "But every time I ask, she changes the subject. And Tad doesn't even care, he just wants to be a good warrior."

Quailpaw felt sympathy well up inside. What could he say to that? He had know idea what not having a father was like. Creekfeather had always been there for him and Cedarpaw, and maybe he just took that for granted.

He touched his nose to Doepaw's ear in comfort, and the black-spotted she-cat gave him a grateful smile. She settled down beside him and pressed closed to his side in return.

Snowstar cleared his throat from his place on the Star Tree's root. "Cats of all clans," he began. "It's time we start this Gathering." He waited until the murmuring and chatter amongst the crowd of cats died down before continuing. "We'll share our news in reverse order from last time, starting with FireClan. Thunderstar, if you will."

Thunderstar gave him a curt nod and stood up to make his announcement.

:

* * *

:

So far things seemed to be going well, although the news that was shared was kind of boring. Thunderstar had said they'd had to rebuild one of their dens after it had collapsed from the weight of all the snow piling on it, and that they had two new apprentices, Brindlepaw and Cloudpaw. Thistlestar had reported that LightClan was managing well, despite the river starting to freeze over. He'd shot a smug look at Troutstar when he mentioned how they were getting by thanks to the prey from Huntingrocks, but the StormClan leader had ignored him and gone on to give his clan news. Snowstar had said that they'd had a run-in with a badger, which they drove north past the Thunderpath, and that a litter of their kits would be close to being apprenticed.

Now it was CaveClan's turn to share news. Their leader, Flowerstar, stood up and balanced gracefully on the tree root. "Before I begin," she meowed. "I would like to give thanks to StarClan for watching over us tonight, and I hope they approve of what I have to share."

She paused a moment to bow her head, with her cats following her lead.

"Now," she went on. "I have a proposition to make."


	17. Chapter 15

Thunderstar looked up at the CaveClan leader from where he sat on one of the lower roots with a raised brow. "A proposition, you say?"

Flowerstar nodded. "One that is sure to interest all the clans." She paused a moment to glance at the other clan leaders before continuing. "Since the days of our founders, there has always been tension and conflict between all of the clans. Blood has been spilt time and time again, and I feel that it must be put to an end."

"And how do you suppose we do that?" Thunderstar asked, eyes narrowed. "This valley has been fought over since before the clans' time, and is still fought over to this day. The five clans have always remained divided, and we've all stood on our own."

"But I feel I have a solution!" Flowerstar meowed. "Our founders did have conflict with each other, but they were able to bring peace because they worked together. They were allies, and they understood one another. I think if we understood each other better, there would be less conflict, and I know how we can accomplish this!"

Snowstar tilted his head. "How?"

Flowerstar straightened up. "I have a plan that involves each clan sending two of their apprentices to another clan for a period of time. After living with another clan, the apprentices can take what they've learned back to their own, and can help both clans understand one another better. I believe if there is more understanding, then there will be less conflict."

Murmurs of shock spread like wildfire amongst the cats in the clearing. Pelts bristled, and the air was dense with tension.

Quailpaw stared up at the CaveClan leader in disbelief, and beside him he felt Doepaw stiffen.

 _Has she got bees in or brain or something?_

Troutstar stood up and raised his tail to silence the crowd. "Flowerstar, explain yourself. If this is a joke, I don't find it very amusing."

"For once, I agree with him," Thistlestar chimed in, looking as if he had to choke out the words.

Flowerstar lifted her muzzle. "I'm serious about this. I feel if we took the time to get to know each other more, there would be less bloodshed."

When her words were met with looks of uncertainty, she continued.

"Think about it; how many times has one clan accused another of trespassing and ended up starting a battle over borders, only to end up finding out the whole thing was a misunderstanding?"

Thistlestar rolled his eyes. "So we're bad at communication, what else is new? What makes you think that's enough to get us to trust other clans with the lives of our apprentices?"

"That's just it!" Flowerstar insisted. "If we can trust each other with the lives of our clanmates, then we can build better relationships between the clans!"

Silence fell on the clearing, and cats exchanged looks of doubt. The tension in the air was so thick you could slice it with a claw. After a few moments, Snowstar let out a sigh.

"Look, I know you have good intentions," he said, addressing Flowerstar. "But there has always been division and conflict, one cat alone cannot change that. I'm sorry, but if you have no other news, then we might as well end this Gathering now."

With that, he, Troutstar, and Thunderstar moved to start climbing down from the roots.

"...Actually..."

Thistlestar's voice drew the other clan leaders' attention. The dappled gray tomcat looked pensive, and a grin slowly spread across his features.

"If you think about it," he meowed. "What Flowerstar has said does make sense. Maybe we should try her idea out. I mean, what have we to lose?"

Quailpaw felt a chill go down his spine. What was he up to? Apparently Troutstar felt the same suspicion he did, as his leader's pelt started to bristle.

Flowerstar's face lit up at Thistlestar's endorsement. "Thank you! Finally someone understands!"

Snowstar exchanged a glance with Troutstar, then Thunderstar, who let out an irritated sigh. He then looked to Flowerstar. "We could give it a shot, I guess. What did you have in mind?"

Flowerstar sat up straight, eyes lighting with pride. "It's as I said before; two apprentices from each clan will be sent to a neighboring clan."

"For how long?"

"A week should be enough time."

Thunderstar frowned. "And how do we decide which apprentices go where?"

"I thought it could work like this," Flowerstar explained. "CaveClan will send apprentices to LightClan, LightClan to StormClan, StormClan to PineClan, PineClan to FireClan, and FireClan to CaveClan."

Troutstar closed his eyes and sighed. "Alright."

Quailpaw stared at his leader in shock. Was he really agreeing to this?

"When will this take place?" Troutstar asked.

"Two days from now," Flowerstar answered. "Choose which apprentices you want to send, then meet at the border you share with the clan you're going to send them to."

:

* * *

:

Quailpaw lashed his tail in irritation, kicking up snow as he and his clanmates trudged their way home. Loudstorm was padding ahead of him, brows furrowed with uncertainty, and Doepaw was at his side, sparking up a conversation with her brother.

"So, what did you think of the CaveClan apprentices?" She seemed to be intentionally avoiding a certain topic. "Were they nice?"

Tadpolepaw rolled his eyes. "I guess, but there was this one apprentice who had, like, a serious obsession with rocks. Really! She went on and on about rocks; she never talked about anything else! I don't remember her name, but I swear, that cat is a like a riddle wrapped around a mystery inside an igneous."

Quailpaw raised a brow at him. "I think you mean an 'enigma'."

Tadpolepaw shook his head. "No, I mean igneous. It's a type of rock. Wanna know where I learned _that?"_

"She's just different," Doepaw mewed. "She probably learned a lot about rocks living in those caverns all her life."

"Maybe." Tadpolepaw rolled his eyes. "Or maybe all CaveClan cats are weird. Did you hear what Flowerstar was saying tonight? Who would come up with a crazy idea like that?"

"I'm sure she has good intentions," Doepaw reasoned.

"Yeah, and what about Thistlestar?" Quailpaw questioned, nose crinkling. "You know he only agreed to this so he could get his apprentices to spy on us!"

Doepaw's ears drooped slightly. "I suppose you have a point there..."

"Of course I do!" Quailpaw said, a growl rising in his throat. "How could Troutstar agree to this? How could he send two of us away and then let two of those _otters_ into our camp?!"

Doepaw and Tadpolepaw didn't answer, and the three of them fell into a silence dense with tension.

Quailpaw continued to ask himself those questions as they trekked back to camp. He couldn't stop the doubt eating away at him. Dark clouds covered the night sky, concealing the glittering stars above. They gloomy feeling they gave off did nothing to help raise his spirits.

When they got back to camp, Cedarpaw came rushing up to him.

"So, how was it?" he asked, eyes lit up with excitement.

Quailpaw opened his mouth to respond, but Troutstar's voice cut him off as it rang throughout the StormClan camp.

"Let all those old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Thunder-rock for a Clan meeting!"

"Guess you'll find out now," Quailpaw muttered.

The cats of StormClan heard their leader's call, and began to gather in the clearing. Some were yawning and their pelts were disheveled, indicating they had been sleeping just moments earlier. This was especially true with Windsong, who emerged from her den with her ears flattened irritably and went over to join her denmates.

"I was just getting to sleep!" she grumbled.

"You're going to want to here this," Poolswirl told her gently.

"Cats of StormClan, I have an announcement to make," Troutstar began, looking as if he really didn't want to say what was about to come out of his mouth. "Two days from now, I will be taking two of our apprentices to the PineClan border. They will be staying in PineClan for exactly one week. During that same week, two LightClan apprentices will be coming to stay with us here in StormClan."

At once cats jumped to their paws, their pelts bristling in alarm.

Quickbreeze stared at him in shock. _"What?"_

Stormflower curled her lip. "What is this nonsense?!"

"Explain yourself!" Hawkfoot hissed, her face contorted in a rare expression of anger.

Troutstar closed his eyes. "It was Flowerstar's idea. She believes if we understand each other, there will be less bloodshed between the clans."

Starlingflight dug his claws into the snow. "And you just blindly agreed with her? Are you _really_ going to send away our apprentices on another clan leader's say so?"

Kinktail glared at her leader. "And let LightClan cats just waltz right into our camp?"

"Silence!" Troutstar lashed his tail. "You really think I am so foolish? I _never_ would have agreed to this if it meant putting our clan or our clanmates at risk! If you did not _listen clearly enough_ , I said I would be sending our apprentices to PineClan. I trust Snowstar will keep them safe. As for the LightClan apprentices, we will all keep a watchful eye over them during their stay. Is that clear?"

His words were met with reluctant nods and disgruntled huffs.

"Who will we be sending, anyway?" Ravenclaw asked.

"I already have two cats in mind," Troutstar meowed, exchanging a glance with his deputy. "Creekfeather and I talked it over on the way back, and I believe I know just who to send."

Quailpaw felt his belly churn with uneasiness. Did he mean-

"I have chosen to send Quailpaw and Doepaw to PineClan. I believe they both need to learn the important of our alliance with Snowstar and his clan."

Quailpaw groaned. _Dad told him about what happened at the Gathering..._

Well, if luck was on his side, Hawkpaw and his friend would be the apprentices sent to FireClan.

 _I'd like to see them talk back to Thunderstar, he'd rip their pelts off!_

:

* * *

:

As Quailpaw lay curled up in his nest later that night, he found it hard to get to sleep. He squirmed around, trying to get more comfortable. After a few moments with sleep still eluding him, he let out a sigh. Cedarpaw and their denmates were fast asleep in their nests, even Doepaw, who would be sent to PineClan along with him in just two days.

 _I still can't believe Troutstar's really going to send us away..._

Even if StormClan and PineClan were on good terms with each other, it didn't mean that this whole 'exchanging apprentices' thing was going to work out. Quailpaw knew next to nothing about what PineClan cats were actually like outside of his interactions with Snowstar and those apprentices, and now he was going to have to _live_ with them for an entire week!

"Psst!"

Quailpaw's ears pricked at the sudden noise. He raised his head and blinked against the darkness. He looked over to see Creekfeather sticking his head through the den entrance. "Dad?" he mewed quietly, as not to wake the others up.

"Quailpaw!" Creekfeather whispered back. "Good, you're awake. Come outside for a bit, I want to talk to you about something."

 _It's the middle of the night!_ Quailpaw thought, but he stood up and obeyed without protest. "What is it, Dad?" he asked as he slipped through the entrance to the den and emerged into the clearing beyond.

"Come with me," Creekfeather said, beckoning him with a flick of his tail.

Quailpaw was about to question him, but decided it was better not to argue. He followed him across the clearing, casting lithe shadows on silver snow with each pawstep. They padded through to the very back of camp, to Lookout Rock. When Creekfeather began climbing up the side of the large boulder, he motioned for his son to do the same, and when they reached the top they sat side by side on the frosty stone.

Quailpaw looked to his father, who had taken to gazing out over the moor. There was a moment of silence before Creekfeather spoke.

"I was doing some thinking while I was up here at my post," Creekfeather mewed softly. "And I wanted to ask you; is this what you really want?"

Quailpaw blinked. "What?"

Creekfeather met his son's gaze. "Do you really want to be a warrior?"

"O-Of course!" Quailpaw exclaimed. "It's what I've wanted since I was a kit! Why are you asking me this?"

"You've been acting strangely these past few days. I know you've always been a little... brash-"

"Hey!"

"And stubborn," Creekfeather continued, ignoring Quailpaw's indignation. "But you were never one to start fights or let your temper get the best of you. All of this started the day you were made apprentice, so I can't help but think something is wrong."

Quailpaw stayed silent as his father turned his gaze back onto the moor.

"Are you dissatisfied?" Creekfeather asked. "You had been spending so much time with Finchspeck, and you seemed to enjoy his company. It would be understandable if you'd changed your mind; that you'd wanted to be a medicine cat instead. I understand if you felt pressured into becoming a warrior, but I'm not like Stormflower. I want you to be happy, so if you'd rather be a medicine cat, I would gladly support you."

"Dad..."Quailpaw's voice was barely a whisper. Had Creekfeather really been worrying about him so much? "Dad, listen."

Creekfeather turned to look back at his son.

"Dad, I _do_ want to be a warrior," Quailpaw mewed. "I really do, it's what I've always been dreaming of. I know I've been acting strange recently, and I'm sorry. It's been a few rough days for me, but I promise to try my best to make StormClan proud, as a _warrior_."

Creekfeather smiled warmly. "Are you sure? Doepaw told me about what happened during your confirmation, and how you helped her when she was injured. You seem to have a natural instinct to protect others."

Quailpaw rolled his eyes. "Of course! It's only natural for me to want to protect my clanmates. A warrior protects his clan just as much as any medicine cat, he just does it in a different way."

"Well," Creekfeather said, resting his muzzle on Quailpaw's head. "As long as you're sure this is the path you want, then it's fine. As a father, my happiness comes from seeing you and your brother be happy."

Quailpaw didn't respond, but curled into his father's warmth. He could worry later; the future's troubles were tomorrow's problem. For now, he would enjoy this moment as long as possible.


	18. Chapter 16

The next two days seem to go by way too fast, and soon Quailpaw found himself at the camp entrance with Doepaw, preparing to leave for PineClan. Cedarpaw's eyes were misty as he came to see his brother off, and looked as if he were a few seconds from bursting into tears. He held it together, though. Creekfeather was supportive in wishing his son good luck and reassuring him that they'd see each other again soon enough.

Quailpaw had expected Morningcloud to be sobbing at the mere suggestion of being separated from one of her kits, but so far she seemed to be taking it pretty well. If the she-cat was terribly upset, the calm smile on her face didn't show it. Tadpolepaw was the most enthusiastic about them going off to another Clan, asking to be told all about it when they got back.

While Quailpaw still didn't like the idea of leaving home, he'd accepted that it was only temporary, and hoped the week would pass as quickly as it came. Doepaw, on the other hand, didn't seem as alright as she'd like others to believe. She'd put on a smile to feign confidence, but Quailpaw saw the uncertainty that lit her eyes. He couldn't blame her, especially after what happened at the Gathering.

 _I don't care if there's an alliance, if anyone makes a comment about her being a kittypet, I'll shred 'em!_

Quailpaw suppressed a growl as Troutstar came to take them to the PineClan border. Bidding farewell to the cats who'd come to see them off, the three of them took their leave, making their way north across the moor. It was snowing again, this time in light, fluffy flurries instead of big clumps.

There were some rabbits out and about, their fur having changed color to match the season. They scurried away at the sight of the cats, and Quailpaw had to suppress the urge to chase after them.

As the river that marked their borders came into view, Quailpaw spotted two figures beside the tree-tunnel, on their side of the river. As they neared, he recognized them as Snowstar and his deputy, Blackfang. The two of them were waiting with their fur fluffed up against cold, and Snowstar perked up when he saw the StormClan cats.

"Greetings!"

"Greetings, Snowstar," Troutstar mewed back, giving a polite nod. "Did you already take your apprentices to FireClan?"

Snowstar nodded. "Yes, Hawkpaw and Raccoonpaw are in Thunderstar's paws now. Hopefully that old cat can drill a lesson about respecting their elders into them."

Hawkpaw's gone to FireClan! Quailpaw thought with glee. Now neither he nor Doepaw would have to deal with him for an entire week, and with any luck maybe that 'Raccoonpaw' was his friend from before. _What is a raccoon anyway?_

"Hopefully," Troutstar agreed. "And now I entrust two of my apprentices to you. These are Quailpaw and Doepaw, please take care of them."

"Of course!" Snowstar mewed, looking over the StormClan apprentices. He gave Quailpaw a smile, eyes warm with recognition. "They'll be safe and welcomed in PineClan, I promise."

Troutstar bowed his head in thanks. Then, giving Quailpaw and Doepaw a reassuring nod, turned and headed away back to camp. When he was out of sight, Blackfang stepped forward.

"We'll take you to our camp," he said. "Try and keep up, alright?"

The StormClan apprentices nodded, then followed the PineClan cats through the tree-tunnel. The harsh tang of pine flooded Quailpaw's nose as the four of them padded through the forest. Dark, sharp-pointed trees loomed overhead, with freshly-fallen snow resting on their branches. Snowstar let Blackfang lead the group, and fell back to pad with Quailpaw.

"How are you adjusting to apprentice life?" he asked.

Quailpaw blinked at him. "Uh, fine I guess."

"That's good. I was worried, considering what happened with the last apprentice Loudstorm had."

 _He's talking about Finchspeck_ , Quailpaw realized. "Loudstorm's a great mentor."

"I know." Snowstar smiled fondly. "It's just, when that happened Loudstorm took it pretty hard. He lost a lot of confidence in himself, and I was really worried for him. I'm glad he has you for an apprentice now, so please take care of him for m-"

 _For you?_ Quailpaw thought when Snowstar cut himself off. The PineClan leader bit his lip, as if chastising himself, then gave Quailpaw another smile.

"Anyway, just do your best," he mewed. "Do that, and make Loudstorm proud, okay?"

Quailpaw nodded. "I will."

The scent of PineClan became stronger the more they moved among the undergrowth, probably because they were nearing the camp. Soon the little group came to a large wall of holly. Blackfang pushed aside a clump of the prickly leaves, revealing an opening in the bush, and gestured for Doepaw and Quailpaw to go through. They obeyed, with Doepaw going first and Quailpaw wriggling his way through after her.

The holly's spiny leaves scraped his pelt just like the brambles back home, and when Quailpaw emerged on the other side, the PineClan camp opened up to him. A soft blanket of white stretched out over a vast clearing, away to a pine tree that loomed over others of its kind. There was a hollowed-out opening at the base, so it was probably a den. A huge rock was jutting out of the ground in the very middle of the camp. It was like the Thunderrock, only this one had a flattened surface at the top.

Cats mingled and moved about the camp, going on with their daily business. That is, until they spotted Quailpaw and Doepaw. Many stopped what they were doing and stared wide-eyed at the StormClan cats. Quailpaw felt uncomfortable under their gazes, and he could tell Doepaw felt the same.

 _This is way too awkward! I can't have all these cats staring at me, I really can't!_

Silence fell over the clearing until Snowstar and Blackfang pushed their way through the holly bush. Sensing the mood, the PineClan leader stepped forward.

"Everyone," he said, addressing his clanmates. "These are Quailpaw and Doepaw of StormClan. They'll be staying with us for a while, so please make them feel welcome."

At his words, the Clan seemed to relax, and came to cluster around their new guests. It was a little overwhelming, being surrounded by a bunch of cats they didn't know, but the StormClan apprentices tried to not let it show. Quailpaw straightened up and held his head high, while Doepaw smiled nervously.

"Hey, I know you," a smoky-furred apprentice mewed to Doepaw. "Your Tadpolepaw's sister, aren't you? He talked about you at the Gathering."

"Is it true you guys left your camp when you were kits?" another apprentice asked Quailpaw.

Quailpaw flinched. "He told you about that?"

The apprentice laughed, swishing his tail from side to side. "So it's true!"

 _Tadpole, you stupid loudmouth!_ Quailpaw growled inwardly.

The older PineClan cats weren't as friendly as their younger clanmates, but most of them were welcoming and though some of them clearly looked uncomfortable with having strangers in their camp, they were still polite.

Snowstar turned to the apprentice that had been talking to Doepaw. "Coalpaw, why don't you show our guests around the camp?" he suggested. "They'll be staying here for a while, after all."

"Okay!" Coalpaw said with a nod.

Quailpaw exchanged an uncertain glance with Doepaw. This all seemed to be happening way too fast, but they were given no time to protest before Coalpaw was trotting away toward another big holly bush. "This is the apprentices' den," he called to them over his shoulder. "You'll be staying here with us."

Quailpaw sighed, then padded after him with Doepaw close behind. The apprentice that he'd spoken to before followed them, introducing himself as Branchpaw along the way. As they neared, the holly trembled and another apprentice poked their head out, sending a cold shiver down Quailpaw's spine as he recognized her.

 _Hawkpaw's friend from the Gathering!_

"Mornin' Midnightpaw," Branchpaw greeted cheerfully. "We were wondering when you'd wake up. You nearly missed meeting our guests, here."

Midnightpaw narrowed her eyes at the StormClan apprentices. "Oh, believe me," she said, curling her lip. "We've met."

Quailpaw met her gaze with a hot glare, but the she-cat only pushed past him and padded away, leaving her clanmates with confused looks in her wake.

Coalpaw tilted his head. "You guys have met already?"

"At the Gathering," Quailpaw said stiffly. "Rather not talk about it."

Branchpaw shrugged. "Oh well. Anyway, you'll be staying here in the apprentices' den with us. And if you get injured, you can just go right over to the medicine den."

 _Medicine den?_ Quailpaw caught the familiar tang of herbs, and turned to see an old fallen tree not too far away. Unlike the elders' den back home, this tree was leaning against the trunk of another, with lichen handing down like a curtain. He found himself drawn to the familiar scent, and trotted over, leaving the other apprentices to mingle. When he reached the den he sniffed at the lichen, breathing in that scent he'd grown so fond of these past few moons.

Suddenly a muzzle poked out through the lichen and shoved his nose away. A pair of yellow eyes glared at him from the shadows of the den.

"Who are you? What business do you have being here?"

Quailpaw bristled in alarm. "Uh, I- I didn't-"

"Calm down, Thorntail," a new voice said. A yellow tabby slid through the lichen. "Didn't you hear? He's our new guest. Remember, the one Snowstar was talking about?"

The one called Thorntail padded out from the den, revealing his scruffy, spiky brown fur. He narrowed his eyes at Quailpaw. "Pretty nosy for a guest, I'd say."

"I'm not nosy!" Quailpaw protested. "I just... the smell reminded me of home. Are you the medicine cat?"

"He is," the tabby answered. "I'm his apprentice, Leafstem. And you are?"

"I'm Quailpaw. I'm a StormClan apprentice."

"Oh!" Leafstem's whiskers twitched. "So you're the one Finchspeck was talking about."

Quailpaw blinked. "He told you about me?"

Thorntail eyed him through narrowed yellow slits. "You're not even his apprentice or a relative, and yet he seems awfully fond of you."

Curiosity welled up in Quailpaw. Did Finchspeck brag about him? Or did he make fun of him, like an uncle would for his nephew? He felt like he should be embarrassed or annoyed, but instead he found himself oddly happy.

"Please excuse Thorntail," Leafstem meowed. "The kits often come over and mess with our stores, so he's just being protective over them. We don't want to lose anymore than we already have."

At that moment squealing sounded from across the clearing and a little group of kits came scampering over, almost as if Leafstem's words had summoned. There were four of them, three toms and a she-kit. The she-kit and one of the toms skipped around at the medicine cat apprentice's paws, while Thorntail hissed at another tom who was poking at him with a paw. The last tomkit was sniffing at Quailpaw curiously.

"Can we come play in your den today?" the tom at Leafstem's paws asked.

"No, Stonekit," Leafstem mewed gently. "Why don't you go play in the nursery?"

The she-kit lashed her tail. "The nursery's _boring_."

"I brought you a feather earlier, why don't you play with that, Ivykit?"

"Feathers are _boring_."

Leafstem sighed, and Quailpaw felt sorry for him. Kits could be a pawful and hard to please at times. These four reminded Quailpaw of Emeraldkit and his siblings back home.

Thorntail had retreated back to the safety of his den, while the kit who'd been poking at him glared at Quailpaw. "Who're you? You're not PineClan!"

The third tom tilted his head. "You smell funny."

"Kits, this is Quailpaw," Leafstem introduced. "He's from StormClan, and he's going to be staying with us for a while. Quailpaw, these are Stonekit, Ivykit, Kindlekit, and Bloodkit."

 _Bloodkit?_ Quailpaw looked down at the little tom. He had long red fur, with dark tabby stripes rippling over his pelt. He glared at Quailpaw with fierce amber eyes. _It's a fitting name, I guess. But they couldn't go with something more normal like 'Redkit'? Who names their kit 'Bloodkit', anyway?_

"I better take them back to their mothers," Leafstem said. "Can't have them getting into trouble, now can we?"

Bloodkit shot Quailpaw a sharp look before being ushered away back to the nursery with his denmates.

 _I have to deal with six more days of this? StarClan, help me._


	19. Chapter 17

Deep in sleep, Quailpaw stirred when he felt a paw poke his side. He rolled over, and the paw poked at him again. He shrugged it off, and this time he was hit by a sudden splash of cold to his face. He sat up at once, now startled awake.

"You're up!" Coalpaw mewed. His paw was littered with flakes of the snow he'd thrown at the sleeping apprentice. "Come on, we've been assigned to the early morning border patrol."

Quailpaw let out an irritated sigh. He had been dreaming of being back home in StormClan before being so rudely awoken. He blinked sleepily against the early morning light that filtered into the apprentices' den. The sting of cold edged with pine hit his nose, and he longed to go over to the medicine den to clear his sinuses. It was only day two of his week-long stay here in PineClan, and he was already homesick.

The camp was bustling with activity when he emerged into the clearing. It seemed like most of the warriors were awake, and even the other apprentices as well. Midnightpaw was talking with a cat who was probably her mentor, while Quailpaw spotted Doepaw sharing a conversation with Branchpaw. His friend seemed to share his discomfort with being here, but it looked like she was trying her best to be friendly.

"Good, you're awake."

Quailpaw looked up to see a sleek dark gray tabby pad up to him, followed closely by a black and ginger she-cat.

"Quailpaw, this is my mentor, Graymist," Coalpaw introduced. "And the she-cat is Hollyberry."

Graymist nodded in greeting. "Snowstar has ordered me to look out for you during your stay here, so you'll be coming along with us on our patrol."

Quailpaw glanced past him at his friend. "What about Doepaw?"

"She'll be going hunting with Rookwing later," Hollyberry said. "Now come along, we're not just going to stand here all day."

Graymist lead the way toward the camp entrance, with Quailpaw trudging along reluctantly. Catching a snobbish glance from Midnightpaw as they passed, he felt annoyance flare up inside, and strut forward with a more confident stride.

As the patrol pushed through the holly barrier and emerged into the forest beyond, Coalpaw gave Quailpaw's shoulder a friendly nudge. His eyes had a mischeivious glow. "Let's race!"

Quailpaw blinked at him. "Why?"

"Why _not_?" Coalpaw lowered into a playful crouch, swishing his tail. "What's the matter, too afraid I'll leave you in the dust?"

 _Yeah, right!_ Quailpaw smirked. Not bothering to respond, he charged ahead and ran past the older PineClan cats. Coalpaw took off after him with an excited squeal very akin to a kit's. The two of them kicked up sprays of snow in their wake as they raced on, earning an annoyed hiss from Hollyberry and a roll of Graymist's eyes.

 _Now this is what I was meant for!_ Quailpaw thought, feeling a cold breeze rake through his fur as he ran. With so many trees and frosted undergrowth, it was much harder to run as freely as he did on the moor, but this was still pretty fun. He kept running until he spotted an opening among the trees ahead, and slowed to a stop, with Coalpaw skidding to halt at his side soon after.

"For a moor cat," the apprentice panted. "You sure are able to make your way through a forest pretty well."

Quailpaw puffed out his chest. "Probably some hidden talent of mine."

"You two shouldn't run so far ahead," Hollyberry growled as she and Graymist caught up to them. "This is a border patrol, not a game of tag!"

"Calm down, Hollyberry," Graymist said. "They're just having a bit of fun. Besides, running's a great way to build up energy for keeping warm."

"How much further til we reach the border?" Quailpaw asked.

"Not too far," Graymist answered. "Today we're checking the border we share with the Twoleg nest."

"Unfortunately," Hollyberry muttered under her breath.

Quailpaw tilted his head. "There's a Twoleg nest way out here?" He'd heard about Twolegs from the stories Breezetail used to share in the nursery, but they were a rare sight here in the valley. Most of the younger cats in StormClan had never even seen one.

Graymist nodded. "It should be just up ahead."

As the four of them went on, Quailpaw sniffed at the air. He realized the scent of the forest now carried a strange edge to it. It was warm, with a sour tang he couldn't quite identify. Looking ahead, he saw a large structure laying beyond where the line of trees ended. The lower half of it was mostly obscured by a tall wooden wall, with a trail of smoke rising from the top of the structure.

Quailpaw came to a sudden realization. This was the place Hawkpaw had mentioned at the Gathering, the place he said they'd found Morningcloud's scent! Did that mean... did Doepaw and Tadpolepaw's father live here? Was he really a kittypet?

 _No, it can't be! Would Morningcloud really come all this way to see a kittypet?_

"Hey!"

A voice sounded from above, startling Quailpaw. He looked up to see a cat sitting on a low-hanging branch of a tree. He was a brown tabby with a white chest and white paws. Having gotten the Clan cats' attention, the cat climbed down from his perch.

"It's been a while since I last saw you guys," the cat said, a grin adorning his features. "Was starting to think you were avoiding me."

Hollyberry groaned. "Hello, Socks."

"I guess it has been a little while," Graymist meowed, giving an awkward smile.

 _They know each other?_ Quailpaw looked at the new cat suspiciously. Unlike the Clan cats, this guy was a little chubby, and looked pretty well-fed. His coat was sleek and glossy, and he wore a black collar around his neck with a bell that jingled every time he moved.

 _This guy's a kittypet! How do Graymist and Hollyberry know him?_

"This is Socks," Coalpaw mewed to Quailpaw. "He lives in the Twoleg nest with a bunch of other cats. We see him a lot at the border. He's kind of annoying, but he's friendly."

Quailpaw stared at the kittypet as he started up a conversation with Graymist. If Morningcloud really was hanging around here a while back, would he know? Did they know each other or... was he Doepaw's father? It was unlikely- Socks shared little resemblance with Doepaw or her brother. Their fur weren't even the same shade of brown. But maybe Socks knew Doepaw's father?

 _I can't just ask him stuff like that with the others here. I'll have to come back later to get the answers I want._

"Well, Socks," Graymist said suddenly, taking a step back. "It was nice seeing you again, but we really should be on our way now."

Socks blinked. "But you just got here."

Hollyberry turned away. "Sorry, we have some hunting to do. Gotta keep the Clan fed and all, you know how it is."

"Oh, okay! But come back soon!" Socks called after them as Graymist led the patrol back into the forest.

As soon as the kittypet was out of sight and hearing range, Quailpaw heard a growl rumble in Hollyberry's throat.

"Why are we the only Clan that has to put up with him?" she grumbled.

"Because we're the only Clan that lives near him," Coalpaw said simply, earning a groan from the older cat.

"We should be thankful, though, I suppose," Graymist sighed. "At least Socks and his Twolegs don't bother with us all too much. They leave us in peace for the most part."

Doing the best with what they're dealt with, that's one way of trying to stay positive.

"Are we actually going to hunt?" Quailpaw asked.

Hollyberry looked over her shoulder at him. "Of course. It's as I said before: the clan needs to be fed."

Coalpaw grinned. "You're gonna learn how to hunt like a forest cat," he said, nudging Quailpaw's shoulder.

Quailpaw rolled his eyes. "As if I need to."

Suddenly movement shifted in the distance, and there was a flash of brown fur.

Hollyberry stiffened. "Squirrel!"

Coalpaw went to lower into a crouch, but Graymist stopped him.

"Why don't we let Quailpaw take this one?" He turned to the StormClan apprentice. "Show us what you can do, Quailpaw?"

Quailpaw smirked at the other apprentice. _Lemme show you how it's done, forest cat._

Remembering what Loudstorm had taught him, Quailpaw dropped to a low crouch. He crept forward slowly, making sure to keep his belly raised above the ground so he wouldn't brush any snow. This garnered approving looks from Graymist and Hollyberry, making Quailpaw's heart swell with confidence.

He narrowed his focus, setting his sights on the squirrel. The little rodent hadn't even noticed him yet, so this seemed like the perfect chance.

 _Ready, aaaand... now!_

With great force Quailpaw used his hind legs to launch himself and spring forward. He lept through the air, aiming for the tree root the squirrel was sitting on. For a moment it looked like it would work, but the squirrel took sudden notice of his presence, and moved out of the way at the last second, leaving Quailpaw to crash into the tree root.

Quailpaw sat up and winced in pain, his head throbbing as the squirrel scurried away. Laughter sounded from behind him.

Coalpaw leaped onto the root beside him, grinning from ear to ear. "Wow, _great_ skills there, buddy!"

Quailpaw scowled at him. _Don't rub it in!_

Graymist padded over. "Your form was good, but your technique could use some work. Because you took such a big leap, you gave time for your prey react."

"But that's how Loudstorm taught me to do it!" Quailpaw protested.

"Maybe that works for moor cats," Hollyberry said. "But not here. This isn't one big open space like the moor, you need to be more aware of your surroundings."

Quailpaw let out an irritated sigh. "So how should I do it?"

Graymist turned to his apprentice. "Coalpaw?"

Coalpaw nodded, then dropped to a crouch. "Watch and learn, moor cat."

:

* * *

:

"No, no, no!"

Quailpaw groaned and sat up. "What did I do now?"

"You were kicking up snow with your tail!" Hollyberry hissed. "You need to keep it still, otherwise prey will here you coming!"

Quailpaw fought hard to suppress a growl. They'd been at this for a while now, and every time it seemed like they were taking a step forward in progress, Hollyberry would shove him two steps back. She seemed to find fault in anything he did, nick-picking every little thing he did wrong.

 _I'd give anything to be home right now! Loudstorm's a much better teacher than Hollyberry will_ _ **ever**_ _be._

Graymist and Coalpaw were watching sympathetically from where they sat, with the squirrel Coalpaw'd caught earlier resting at their paws.

"I think that's enough for today," Graymist meowed. "We can pick up where we left off tomorrow."

 _Thank StarClan!_ Quailpaw thought with a relieved sigh. _The sooner we get back, the sooner I can tell Doepaw about Socks, too._

The camp was less alive with activity when they returned. More border and hunting patrols had left, and some cats had retreated back into their dens to escape the cold. Snowstar and Blackfang were in deep conversation at the base of the rock in the middle of camp. Branchpaw was practicing a battle move with an older cat, presumably his mentor. Midnightpaw was nowhere to be seen, thankfully, and as Coalpaw went to lay his catch with the rest of the fresh-kill, Quailpaw spotted his StormClan clanmate across the clearing.

Doepaw was sitting in a corner of the camp all by herself, shifting uncomfortably as her eyes flitted from one PineClan cat to another, as if bracing herself for onslaught of sneers and accusations from passers-by. But every cat that passed her either ignored her or only offered a curt mew of greeting before going on their way.

Quailpaw trotted over to her. "I have to talk to you."

Doepaw blinked at him. "What is it?"

"I can't tell you here," Quailpaw said, trying to keep his voice low. "Follow me."

Doepaw opened her mouth to protest, but then sighed and shook her head, deciding it was better to just go along with it.

Quailpaw looked around to make sure no-one was looking, then led Doepaw over to the apprentices' den. With the other apprentices out and about doing their own thing, it was completely empty.

"What is it you wanted to tell me?" Doepaw asked as the two of them slipped into the den.

Quailpaw hesitated before turning to face her. "I... I think I may have found a way of finding out who your father is."

Doepaw's eyes widened. "W-What?"

"Hawkpaw said they found Morningcloud's sent along their border with the Twoleg nest," Quailpaw reminded her. "I went there today and met a kittypet who lives there. He might-"

"Wait," Doepaw interrupted. "Do... do you _actually_ think my father might be a kittypet?"

"No!" Quailpaw quickly shook his head. "I'm just saying he might _know_ something. If Morningcloud really was going up there, then maybe he met her or might remember her."

Doepaw's brows furrowed. "And if he doesn't?"

"Then it might prove Morningcloud really didn't go there. We may not find your father, but we can at least prove that Morningcloud might not have actually been trespassing on another Clan's land."

Doepaw didn't reply right away. She looked pensive for a moment, then let out a sigh. "It's worth a shot I guess..."

"Okay. We'll go tonight?"

"Tonight," Doepaw confirmed. "But nobody can know, we can't let anyone see us going there. We'd have to sneak out of camp."

Quailpaw couldn't help but grin and roll his eyes. "You say that as if we haven't done that before!"


	20. Chapter 18

Curled up in his nest, Quailpaw opened one eye, blinking against and peering into the darkness of night that enclosed the apprentices' den. The other apprentices all seemed to be sleeping soundly, except for Doepaw, whose light breathing suggested she wasn't in as deep a sleep as the others. Now was the time.

 _"I can see you've grown from your days of sneaking out of camp."_

Quailpaw felt a pang in his heart as he remembered Troutstar's words. His leader had put such faith in him, and now here he was, doing exactly what he'd done as a bratty little kit.

 _I'm sorry, Troutstar, but it's for a good cause this time. Please forgive me._

Silent as he could, Quailpaw rose to his paws, careful not to shift any of his bedding loudly. He stepped out of his nest and over to Doepaw's, giving the she-cat's side a poke with his paw. "Doepaw?"

Moments passed, then one eye opened, followed by a little sigh. "I know." Doepaw rose from her nest, her frame trembling a little as she stretched out her tired limbs. She stepped out and the two of them went over to the den entrance.

A soft blanket of snow lay over the PineClan camp, turned silver in the pale moonlight. The sky was clear, with vast swaths of stars glittering overhead. A cat was stationed at the entrance to the camp, their lightly-frosted fur making them look like they were made of ice.

"Mouseheart's on duty tonight," Doepaw whispered. "We can't let her see us."

Quailpaw scanned the camp. "We'll go out through the dirtplace tunnel," he decided. The two apprentices padded along the edge of the clearing, slinking quietly among the shadows until they reached and made their way through the narrow gap behind the medicine den. It wasn't until they were well outside the camp that Quailpaw released the breath he hadn't realized he was holding in a sigh of relief.

"I still don't know if this is such a good idea…"

Doepaw's murmur was so quiet Quailpaw almost didn't catch it. He turned and gave her a surprised look. "But don't you want to know who your father is?"

"Well, yes, but…" Doepaw trailed off for a moment, then sighed. "But what if we get caught? Remember what happened _last_ time we snuck out of camp?"

Quailpaw paused, memories of how angry Troutstar had been sending a cold chill down his spine.

"And we didn't even sneak out of our own camp this time!" Doepaw continued. "If we get caught, we'll be in a lot more trouble than before."

 _"He has to share his den with a_ _ **kittypet**_ _, after all."_

 _"Everybody knows it."_

Quailpaw stiffened. "Then we won't get caught."

"But-"

"No!" A growl rose in Quailpaw's throat. "We have to do this, we have to prove your father wasn't a kittypet!"

Doepaw blinked. "Why do you want to help me so badly?"

"Because-" Quailpaw tried to look her in the eye, but he found he couldn't meet her gaze, and ended up looking down at his paws. He suddenly felt so self-conscious. "Because you shouldn't be put down for something you're not. You… you deserve better."

Doepaw's eyes shone. "Quailpaw..!"

"And besides, we've practically known each other since we were born. It's only natural to help out your best friend."

"…..Oh."

"A-Anyway," Quailpaw said, turning away. "We should get going if we want to be back before anyone notices."

Together the two of them set off again, making their way toward the northern border. The air was still, the tang of pine and clean snow scent mingling with the sting of cold. They trudged on through the forest of snow and shadow, until soon enough they came to an opening amongst the line of trees. The Twoleg den lay not too far off in the distance, the trail of smoke rising from the top now a thin stream. A lot of it was dark, but there was some light coming from the den.

Doepaw flattened her ears nervously. "I-Is that it?"

Quailpaw nodded. "Yeah, that should be where the kittypet I met today lives." He took the lead as they approached fence surrounding the den slowly and warily, with Doepaw sticking behind him with her fur fluffed up defensively. They stopped a few tail-lengths away from the fence, and Doepaw's eyes sparked with a sudden thought.

"How are we going to get him to come out?" she asked.

"How are you going to get who to come out?"

Both of them flinched at the cool voice that sounded from above. They looked up to see a she-cat balancing gracefully atop the fence. She was quite small, looked to be about an apprentice's age. Dark brown splotches littered her fluffy black coat, and a bright orange collar dangled from her neck as she peered down at them with curious eyes.

Quailpaw stood tall. He wasn't going to be intimidated by such a tiny thing. "We're looking for a cat named 'Socks'. Is he here?"

The she-cat swished her tail along the face of the fence. "Maybe. Depends on who's asking."

Doepaw stepped forward. "My name is Doepaw, and this is my friend. We came here for some information, that's all. We mean you no harm."

Disappointment flickered in the she-cat's eyes. "Is that all? How boring." Without another word, she turned and hopped down the other side of the fence.

"H-Hey, get back here!" Quailpaw demanded, running up to the fence. "We came to see Socks, you can't just leave like that!"

For a while there was nothing, then there were soft voices sounding from the other side of the fence. A jingling noise sounded, and moments later a familiar tabby scrambled up onto the fence, swaying forward as he clumsily tried to keep his balance. "Hey, Brownie said someone wanted to see me-" His eyes lit with recognition when he spotted Quailpaw. "Hey, I know you! You came by earlier with Graymist. Sorry, I didn't get your name."

Quailpaw scowled. "I didn't give it."

Doepaw sighed. "I'm Doepaw," she introduced again. "This is my friend, Quailpaw. We came here to ask you some questions."

Socks turned as she addressed him, staring at her with wide eyes that seemed to visibly unnerve her.

"Um, S-Socks, was it? Is something wrong?"

Socks blinked. "Oh, sorry. It's just, you remind me of someone I used to know. It's eerie, actually, you really look like him. Right down to the eyes."

Doepaw gasped, exchanging a glance with Quailpaw.

"Actually, that does have to do with why we've come here," Quailpaw said. "Do you remember a cat named 'Morningcloud' coming here a while back? About six or so moons ago?" When Socks tipped his head in confusion, Quailpaw went on, "She-cat, long reddish fur-"

"Oh, I remember someone like that!" Socks' ears pricked with interest. "Yeah, there was a she-cat hanging around here a while ago. She came to see Bengal a lot."

"Who?"

"Bengal. He's a cat that used to live here with us, but he left."

"Where is he now?" Doepaw asked.

Socks shrugged. "Dunno. He went into town and never came back. We all figured he found some other housefolk to live with."

Quailpaw furrowed his brows. "'Town'? What's a 'town'?"

"It's this big place where a bunch of housefolk live," Socks answered. "My housefolk likes to keep to himself out here, but he goes into town a lot to stock up on food and stuff. He's heading in tonight, actually. If you want to go, you could catch a ride with him."

Quailpaw exchanged another glance with Doepaw, this time with uncertainty pricking at him. "Go?"

"You should if you want to find Bengal," Socks told them. "I highly doubt he's coming back here anytime soon."

Doepaw's brows furrowed in a worried look. "Should we?"

Quailpaw pondered over it for a moment, then nodded. "This is our only shot, so we'll go."

"But what if we don't make it back in time before they notice we're gone?"

"My housefolk doesn't spend that much time in town," Socks said. "We'll be there and back before you know it."

"You're coming, too?" Quailpaw asked as Socks hopped down from the fence.

"Well, yeah," the kittypet replied simply. "You're not gonna get far if I just leave you to your own devices. I'll help you out best I can."

Doepaw bowed her head gratefully. "That's very kind of you, thank you."

With a nod and flick of his tail, Socks led them away around the side of the Twoleg den. Rounding the corner of the fence, Quailpaw spotted a large… creature of some sort. It was smaller than the den, but still way bigger than the cats, with a smooth dark green surface that glittered unnaturally under moonlight. It sat on four round paws, and its unmoving form suggested that it was asleep. Beyond it lay a pathway of hard, black ground that stretched away to the right and left. It seemed to go on forever, and a sour, pungent odor was coming off it in waves, making Quailpaw's nose crinkle in disgust.

 _So that was what I was smelling earlier… It must be the Thunderpath I've heard stories about._

Without any hesitation Socks padded up to the sleeping monster. "You coming?" he called to the other two over his shoulder.

Doepaw bristled in alarm. "Are you crazy? Get away from that thing!"

Socks tipped his head to the side. "But this is our ride into town."

"What?!"

Socks leaped up onto the monster's backside. "Come on, it's perfectly safe so long as you don't get under its paws. Better hurry, too, 'cause my housefolk's leaving soon."

As if his words had beckoned it, there was a sudden shuffling noise. A light came on, and incoherent voices sounded from inside the den.

Quailpaw bristled, then gave Doepaw's shoulder a hard nudge forward. "We've got no choice!" he hissed, urging her toward the monster. Doepaw was hesitant, but complied. The two of them hurriedly approached and scrambled up onto the creature. To their surprise, there was a hollowed out space in the back of it, perfect for hiding stowaways.

 _I cannot believe we're actually doing this,_ Quailpaw thought, climbing into the back of the monster along with Socks and Doepaw. He heard a loud _bang_ as the den opened up and a Twoleg stepped out. It walked over to the monster, opening its side and climbing right in. The beast roared to life moments later, startling the clan cats out of their pelts. Before either one of them could reconsider this idea of theirs, the monster took off, starting out slow before speeding up to a steady, smooth stride down the Thunderpath. Before they even knew it, they were being swiftly taken from their home in the valley, and riding down an uncertain path where they hoped to find the answers they sought.


End file.
